To Wilt or Blossom
by A Moonless Sky
Summary: She wanted to reborn as a cat,or a panda, something easy with no responsibilities. But life did her no favors in the past, so why would it start now? No, she had to be reborn into the fictional world of One Piece as none other than Walker D. Rosie, daughter to Red-Haired Shanks and inheritor of the 'Will of the D'. She would have preferred a cat. Self Insert. I don't own One Piece.
1. Chapter 1

_My sun sets to rise again._

 _~Robert Browning_

 _._

 _._

Lienna Walker was never a pirate. Not at heart anyway. Sure, she traipsed around the Grand Line, found a captain she was willing to sail with, tasted the freedom of the open ocean, battled fellow pirates and Marines, but it wasn't what she yearned for.

She found what she wanted in a red-haired pirate. The boy who had sailed under the Pirate King was making a name for himself as the captain of his own ship when they met. Something in their souls sang when they touched, and Lienna knew the man was her soulmate. And they loved each other, but the red-haired pirate was young and didn't realize that his love for the woman outweighed his love for the sea, so they went their separate ways.

A few months later, Lienna discovered she was pregnant. With enough treasure stored away to support herself and the life growing inside her, she left her crew and settled down in her home town.

Six months later, Lienna gave birth, alone, to baby girl with shocking red hair. The exact same shade as the man she loved. The new mother knew what she had to do, because the man had only continued to gain notoriety, to gain a bigger bounty, to gain enemies. Lienna knew to protect her child, her parentage had to be hidden.

So, she did.

When Red-Hair Shanks' ship docked at her island when her little girl -affectionally named Rosie because how could she not with that hair- was four, she knew what had to be done. No matter how much her heart yearned for the man who showed up at her doorstep, no matter how much she wanted nothing more than to have a life with him, to raise their daughter together, she loved her daughter more. She would choose her daughter's safety every time. So, when Shanks stood in front of her, a bouquet of sunflowers -her favorite- in hand and the same grin she fell in love with, she slammed the door in his face.

He persisted, but she rejected him each time. It wasn't until he caught a glimpse of the child, shyly peeking her head around the corner, hair as scarlet as his own, that he understood. He knew why Lienna wanted him gone, wanted nothing to do with him. He knew the danger any association to him brought.

"Just leave Shanks." Lienna whispered, sorrow ringing clear in her voice. And he did. And he would regret it for the rest of his life.

…

She didn't know where she was. She didn't even know who she was. Wait, yes, she did, she remembered brown eyes and caramel skin, but what was her name? No matter how hard she racked her brain, how desperately she sought the answer, she couldn't remember her name. That wasn't important though. What was important was that she didn't know where she was. She was warm, she _felt_ safe, but she could barely move, she couldn't see, and though she had some semblance of hearing, it was muffled.

Was she in a coma? But she could move her body, people in comas couldn't move. She tried to talk, but she couldn't open her mouth. She was scared, she was terrified.

Until a comforting voice spoke to her. She couldn't make out the words, but the sound of the voice, the laugh, it stopped her from struggling. The voice sounded motherly, but she didn't recognize it as her own mother. Her own mother. What was her mom's name? What did her mom look like? Why couldn't she remember anything?

There she stayed. She didn't know how long, she couldn't keep track. The voice began to sound worried when she stopped moving around as much so she would change positions as to not worry them. She had become resigned to her new life in the cocoon of warmth.

Then, everything was chaos. She was being removed from the warmth, from the comfort, but why? There was a blinding light then everything was so loud, so clear, but she still couldn't see. Her vision was blurry and she could only vaguely make out shapes. Was someone…holding her? That didn't make any sense, she was a grown adult, how could someone swaddle her so easily?

The same voice, the motherly one, was speaking to her, but they sounded exhausted. The voice called her Rosie. Was that her name? It didn't sound familiar, she thought she would recognize if someone said her name, but there was nothing when the person said Rosie.

She didn't know what to do. There was nothing she could do. Her first instinct was to cry, because she didn't know where she was, she didn't know who she was, and she was scared. So, she did. She wailed, day in and day out.

Lienna didn't know what to do and the poor woman was at the end of her rope. Then, as suddenly as the crying began, it stopped. The new mother was worried something was wrong, but there was nothing to fret over, the baby's sight had simply finished developing. Now that she could see, she could understand. Rosie, because she didn't have anything else to call herself, could see her miniature limbs, could see the woman caring for her, could see the world around her.

Slowly, she began to remember things. Though her name escaped her, as it forever would, she could remember that she was in an accident, she could remember the hospital, the bright lights, the pain, then…the nothingness. Then she remembered the warm place, and could now comprehend that she was in the womb.

She had been reborn. It wasn't a crazy concept, she actually would have bet on it being what lay after death in her past life. Why she still obtained the memory of her past life? That she didn't know.

It made everything bittersweet. She could live with being reborn, but remembering the life she left behind? The people she left behind? That was hard. Also, being an adult in the body of a baby was nothing short of embarrassing.

The up side was that she got to become a genius. Her mother, because technically the woman was her mother and it was hard not to have affection for someone who obviously loved her so deeply, marveled at her development. She didn't know much about babies, but she knew Rosie was advancing at an accelerated pace.

Despite everything, Rosie would say life was pretty good. Her and her mother lived together in peace, and dare she say it, happiness. Her mother adored her, gave in to her every whim and never let her doubt even for a minute that she didn't love her.

The one thing that still confused Rosie was she didn't know where she was reborn. The weather was normal enough, came in seasons, the summers were a bit hotter, but her skin was naturally a shade of caramel that kept her safe from sunburn (her mother wasn't so lucky so Rosie assumed the coloring came from her absent father). It was the books that Rosie read that really confused her.

Her mother had few books, but bought all she could from the small bookstore when she discovered Rosie's love of literature. Rosie knew she had enjoyed reading from her past life, but now it was more than that, it was a necessity. It was her only way to figure out just where the hell she was.

And the more she read, the less she understood. The history books were filled with a history she didn't recognize. A history about kingdoms, of a World Government, of geographical places that tickle at the back of her mind but she can't remember why they sound familiar.

It wasn't until she was four. Mom was panicked, and a bit sad, and Mom was never either of those things, so Rosie knew something was wrong. She told Rosie to stay in the living room, and being the good child she was, she listened. There was a knocking on the door, and a boisterous voice filled her home.

There was that itching again. She recognized that voice, but where would she recognize the voice from? Mom never brought her into town with her, she had never had any interaction with another person besides her mom. And why did the voice fill her with such warmth?

She couldn't not peek. So stealthily, as stealthily as a four-year-old could be, she crept to the walkway and peeked her head around the wall.

The first things she saw was the red hair, the same shade as her own. It didn't comprehend in her mind just who she was looking at until her gaze strayed down to his face, noticing the three scars along his left eyes. Her own eyes widened in shock and she met the gaze of the man, who was staring at her with and identical expression.

Her mind as reeling. Everything started to click in her brain, the history, the geography, her mom's bedtime stories of pirate adventures that she had always assumed were only stories.

"Mama?" She would ask later, after the man had left and the woman was putting the sunflowers in a vase.

"Yes, my princess?" Lienna responded, already knowing what her smart, too smart she realized at times, daughter would be asking.

"Who was that man?"

"If I tell you, you have to promise mama that you won't tell anyone? Okay?" She responded, squatting down so her and Rosie were eye level. It sometimes unnerved Lienna when she looked her daughter in the eye, there was something there, they weren't the eyes of a child. They held too much, too much intelligence, too much understanding.

"I promise Mama."

"Pinky promise." The mother and daughter interlocked their pinkies, as serious as if they were forming a contract.

"That man was your papa." She said and Rosie nodded, as if already knowing and merely needing confirmation.

"What does Papa do?"

"He's a pirate, just like Mama used to be." Once again Rosie nodded. There was one more question, one she didn't want to ask, but knew she needed to.

"What's Papa's name?" Lienna sighed, she wasn't surprised by the question.

"His name is Shanks." Rosie nodded for a final time before a grin overtook her face.

"Thanks Mama!" She chirped, placing a sweet kiss on the woman's forehead before skipping outside, leaving Lienna shocked, but not as much as she could have been. Her little girl sure was something.

Outside, Rosie wasn't nearly as cheerful as she had been inside. Because of course. Of course, this was where she ended up, of course that's who her father ended up being. Just, of course. Life always had a funny way of throwing crazy situations at her, she thought it couldn't get any more insane than being reborn and retaining all of her memories.

She should have known. Because not only had she been reborn retaining all her memories, but she had been reborn into the fictional world of One Piece, but that couldn't be the end of it, because her father just _had_ to be one of the most powerful men in said world. And just because life couldn't leave it that, there was the little problem of her name. She hadn't thought anything of it before. When her mom said her full name on the rare occasion, she thought her middle name was _Dee_.

Things wouldn't be that easy though, because now she had an inkling that her middle name wasn't as simple as Dee. No, Walker D. Rosie had a strong feeling it wasn't a simple as that.

.

.

 **A/N: I'm trash I know. However, I fell into a deep hole that is** **Tell it to the Marines** **, an absolutely brilliantly writes One Piece SI by** **Tsume Yuki** **(seriously go read her stuff she is amazing but don't read hers then read mine because the quality goes down a lot). I had already been crafting Rosie as an OC so after reading her fic I had to make a SI so here we are. Anyway, lemme know what you think, reviews are what get me out of bed in the morning!**


	2. Chapter 2

_I realized when you look at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know._

 _~Mitch Albom_

One Piece. The world of One Piece. The _fictional_ world of One Piece.

It was impossible and the more Rosie thought about it, the more impossible it seemed. Reincarnation was one thing, she could understand reincarnation, but being reborn into a fiction world? Her suspension of disbelief didn't quite stretch that far. Yet, there she was.

Every morning she opened her eyes and expected to be home. Expected to be greeted with the same poster filled walls she had woken to for nineteen years, because surely all this couldn't be more than a really elaborate dream. However, every morning she woke to pastel yellow walls. She woke to the smell of breakfast, but walked to the kitchen and found Lienna, her mother, but not the mother she had known for nineteen years. She woke and had to reorient herself because she was in a body much to small and had to do a double take any time she saw her reflection because her hair was much too red.

Rosie paced around outside her home, eyebrows scrunched in thought as she tried to organize the disarray her mind was in. There was just so much to consider.

Things were easy when she thought she had simply been reborn. It would have taken adjustment sure, but Rosie could have lived with it. A new chance at life, that's the perspective she had been trying to carry. Until the one and only Yonko, Red Hair Shanks, appeared at her home and Lienna confessed that the man was her father.

She had been very familiar with One Piece in her past life, she knew what there was to know about the series and she knew Shank's hadn't had a daughter, much less one that carried the 'Will of the D'. Surely such an important character would have already been introduced.

So where did that leave her? An anomaly in a far from normal world. Reborn in a world she shouldn't have been, with knowledge that she shouldn't have, child of a man who didn't have children, and a middle initial that meant nothing but trouble (and usually a plethora of traumatic events). Rosie shouldn't exist, that as the simple answer. What happened to someone who shouldn't exist? That was a question she didn't want the answer to, but could assume.

Rosie knew the reason Lienna sent Shanks away was to protect her. Her hair was so brilliantly red, the same exact shade as the man, that if anyone saw him come to their island and saw a child with his hair, the dots wouldn't have been hard to connect. There was a giant target painted on her back the moment she was born with red hair, it was beacon proclaiming her parentage. Even though Shanks wasn't at the notoriety that he would be, he was still a cabin boy to the King of the Pirates, and was no doubt an accomplished captain in his own right by them. The World Government would wants him dealt with, and she knew they weren't below stooping on using his own child as leverage.

Not to mention there were more than a few pirates with a grudge against the man. Rosie didn't forget that while a lot of the pirates showcased in One Piece were honest to god good people, that there were pirates who would do horrible things for a child simply because of who she was. There would be pirates lining up to be anything but kind to her should her identity to be found out.

At four, there wasn't much she could to to defend herself should she be found out, that much was blatantly obvious. It was a struggle, living in a body that didn't have completely control over motor function and that was so small. Unable to come up with any other option, the toddler walked back inside, the aroma of freshly baked cookies invading her senses and making her mouth water.

"Hello my little rose." Lienna said cheerfully, turning to face the little girl. Despite having memories of her past mother, it was hard not to grow affection for the woman who was her only caretaker, who loved her wholly and unconditionally, and never failed to let her know.

"Hi Mama!" Rosie chirped happily, skipping to the woman and wrapping her pudgy arms around the woman's knees. Lienna laughed, a light tinkling sound -it's what Rosie imagined a fairy's laugh would sound like-, and scooped Rosie into her arms. That was something the girl had trouble adjusting to, but didn't mind in the slightest.

Lienna peppered Rosie's face with kisses, causing the little girl to laugh. They stayed like that for a few minutes, happiness exuding from both of them. It was nice having a mother, Rosie decided.

"I think the cookies should be done cooling by now." Lienna said, putting Rosie down who scrambled onto one of the dining room chairs. Her mother put a plate with three cookies down in front of her and poured her a cup of milk.

"Thank you Mama!" Rosie exclaimed, a bright smile on her face as she dug into the cookie. They were delicious, the kind of delicious that could only come from something a mother could make. However, Rosie noticed the small taste difference, the one that come from Lienna being unable to use peanuts.

Though she hadn't had the allergy in her past life, Rosie was now allergic to peanuts. The pair figured it out when she was two, her throat swelled up, she broke out in hives, and her nose wouldn't stop running. Lienna rushed her to the town doctor in a panic where the elderly woman told them about her allergy. It was unfortunate considering how much she had loved peanuts, but there were were things to be allergic too.

"Mama, can you get me more books from the library today?" Rosie asked, mouth full of cookies. Hey, she was gonna take advantage of being able to act like a child as long as she could.

"Sure, what would you like?" Lienna responded, already knowing the answer but asking anyway.

"History!" Rosie shouted excitedly. She had come to the conclusion well into her second cookie that learning everything she could about the world she inhabited was something she could do at four. There was a lot of information she knew from her past life, but there was no doubt more than what was discussed in the series. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do with her life, or if she would even get the chance to do anything, but she had to start at the beginning, she wanted to know everything there was to know, every single bit of information no matter how small and insignificant. Because here, everything was different, from the animals to the plants.

"I'll go later this afternoon." Lienna promised and Rosie gave her the cheesiest grin, chocolate smeared on her face and crumbs stuck to her mouth.

…

When Lienna left -after peppering Rosie with kisses and promising to be back soon-, Rosie realized there was something else she could at least attempt. It hadn't crossed her mind because there were so many other things to think about.

Haki.

Every living thing possessed it, it was simply a matter of knowing how to utilize it. Learning how to wield the power would be nothing but helpful in the future.

With that in mind, Rosie didn't even know where to begin. She knew there were three types of Haki: observation, armament, and conquerors. Conquerors was a far off dream, from what she remembered there was about a one a million chance for someone to activate it. She wouldn't even bother.

That left observation and armament. With that in mind, she was left with the question of where she should even begin. Observation seemed like it would be the easiest, so not knowing where else to start, she plopped herself down on the soft grass outside and closed her eyes.

Something was definitely there. She could feel it inside her, the energy humming at the surface, ready to be used. When thinking about it, Rosie considers that she may have been using the skill without even realizing it. She just thought she was able to find Lienna because she was her mother, but it may have been more than that.

Rosie sat there for she didn't know how long, in a meditative state, just feeling the world around her. It was strange. She could sense where things were, sure it might have just been her already knowing her surroundings, but she didn't think it was.

To test her hypothesis she stood up, spun in circles, and plopped herself back down. After taking a few deep breaths, she centered herself and expanded her mind.

Tree nine feet to her left.

Ball four feet in front of her.

House eleven feet behind her.

Rosie opened her eyes and grinned when she realized she had been right on all accounts. The problem came with moving things. After a few minutes, Rosie could sense the bird in the tree when it was perched on the branch, but the moment it moved she lost it.

It wasn't ideal, but it gave her a starting point.

Next was armament. This was the physical one, the one that made someone stronger. She definitely needed to excel in this one. Rosie knew she already had unnatural strength, no doubt a trait passed along due to her heritage and middle initial.

Glancing at her surroundings, Rosies spotted a rock and picked it up. Not having a starting point here either, she simply squeezed the hard object in her hand and hoped for the best. Unsurprisingly, nothing happened. The child sighed before rolling her shoulders and adjusting her grip on the rock. Sweat began to bead on her forehead as she put all her concentration into her hand, into squeezing the small rock.

After a few minutes a nothing, a small crack appeared. Shocked, Rosie dropped the rock before scrambling to pick it up again. She examined the rock, giggling at the small -but present- crack running down the middle. Not much, but again, a starting point.

"Rosie! I'm home!" Lienna sang and said girl turned, dropping the rock and grinning at her mother's reappearance, the grin widening when she noticed the stack of books she was carrying.

"Yay!" Rosie cheered, trailing close behind as they walked into the house. She couldn't wait to get her hands on the abundance of books her mom had brought back. "Thank you Mama!"

"Anything for you my little rose." She smiled, placing a tender kiss atop the child's curl-filled head. Rosie dove right in, grabbing the thick book on the top and running outside to sit in the shade of the tall tree in their front yard, immersing herself in the history of her world.

…

It was later that night when Lienna tentatively approached Rosie, the latter having just come in for the night after knocking out two of the enormous books before the sun set.

"Rosie?" She asked and said child's eyes shot up, meeting her mother's. Lienna was once again shocked at what she saw there; the intelligence, the understanding, the complete lack of childish innocence

"Yes, Mama?" Rosie replied innocently, completely contrasting what Lienna was seeing. The mother shook her head lightly before sighing, the box in her hand weighing heavy on her shoulders.

"You know I love your hair more than anything right?"

"Mhm." Rosie nodded, bringing a hand up to pat her red curls. The color was gorgeous, but it was every bit as dangerous because of what it signified. Lienna had battled for a long time on whether or not to do what she was planning. On one hand, she wanted Rosie to be proud of who she was, who her father was, but on the other hand, the same pride could put her daughter in great danger. And in the face of that, the choice practically made itself.

"How would you feel about changing your hair color for a little while?" Lienna asked carefully. Rosie's face scrunched up in concentration, a look she had been seeing more often than not on her little girl's face, before seeming to come to a conclusion.

"Okay! It'll be fun to try something new!" She responded cheerfully, a grin on her face. Lienna could have cried. She knew that Rosie loved her hair, she would often see her playing with it or admiring it in the mirror. She knew her little girl was doing this for her sake, because she brought it up, and would never want to tell her no.

"It won't be forever, okay?" Lienna said, to comfort herself more than anything. Rosie didn't seem fazed at all by the situation, simply accepting the fact she'd be losing her scarlet locks.

"Okay, Mama." She smiled.

 **A/N: I'm trying to make these longer, I really am, but this was all I had planned for this chapter. Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Lemma know what you think.**

 **MadelVer:** _ **thank you so much! Hope you liked it!**_

 **belladu57:** _ **thanks!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_All good things must come to an end._

 _~Chaucer_

Time passed in relative peace for them. Rosie didn't know why she expected that to change just because she knew she was in the world of One Piece. Maybe because the series was so fast-paced, there were always a million things happening, and her life seemed relatively slow in comparison.

"Mama?" Rosie started, sitting under the large tree in their front yard, a blanket spread out and a picnic basket in front of her.

"Yes, my little rose?" Lienna responded, smiling at the little girl.

"I wanna get strong, like you Mama." She stated, trying to sound as much as a child as possible. It was a hard subject to breach altogether, but one she knew was necessary. Rosie had no doubt the peace she and her mother enjoyed wouldn't last. The cards were stacked against her the minute she was born with vibrant red hair and a cursed middle initial.

There was also the matter of how unnaturally strong everyone was in the Grand Line. If she wanted even the smallest fighting chance, she had to start training now.

And she wanted a fighting chance.

"There's no need for that my little rose, Mama will always be here to protect you." Lienna responded, a forced smile plastered on her face.

"But what if you're not here, Mama?" Rosie posed, doing her best to still act like a six year old. In her old world no one in their right mind would start training a six year old to fight, but this wasn't her old world. This was a world of pirates, a world where her heritage would have her killed or imprisoned in a heartbeat. Her mother knew that.

"Okay, but not today little rose. We'll start tomorrow." Lienna said, resignation clear in her voice. Rosie grinned triumphantly, stuffing another cookie in her mouth.

…

It wasn't easy, but Rosie hardly expected it to be easy. From what she knew of her mother, she was an accomplished pirate before she came along. That wasn't something someone lost by complacency.

They started with physical training in which Rosie excelled. She had an endless amount of energy and an unyielding desire to learn. Despite the bruises, despite her lungs aching for oxygen and her muscles screaming in protest, she was having fun.

At six years old, she was stronger and more physically fit that she had been in her twenty some years of her other life. It was exhilarating.

"Good." Her mother praised, letting her arms relax at her sides as Rosie stood, panting in front of her. Though Lienna loved her more than anything in the world, she was not lenient, which Rosie was thankful for. She wouldn't gain anything by her mother going easy on her.

"Again, Mama!" Rosie smiled, dirt on her cheek and bruises littering her arms. She noticed the hesitation in Lienna's eyes, the way she stared at the bruises and scrapes. Her motherly instincts were in a battle against her pirate instincts.

It was when Lienna's eyes traveled to Rosie's hair, the red tint shining through the brown dye, that she knew they'd go again. Her mother knew better than anyone how dangerous her scarlet hair was, knew that she wouldn't always be around to protect her.

"One more time, then time for a bath."

Rosie didn't have time to cheer before her mother lunged at her.

…

The first time Rosie held a sword in her hand, albeit a wooden one, she felt at ease for perhaps the first time since she realized where she was. It was strange because she had never even held a sword before, in her past life and current. She couldn't understand why it made her feel so content. Like it belonged there.

Lienna was good, really good. Despite not knowing a lick about the craft, Rosie could tell her mother was exceptional. The ease in which she wielded the weapon, as if it was an extension of her arm. She had always thought Lienna was beautiful, but when she had a sword in her hand she was gorgeous.

It was almost as if she was dancing, and Rosie could tell she loved it. The serene look on her face gave it away.

"You can't just look at the blade as a weapon, you have to look at it as an extension of you body. Every move has to be clear and precise, you can't just aimlessly swing it around hoping to hit a target, that's an easy way to get yourself killed."

Rosie was enraptured as her mother lectured her as she sat cross legged, wooden sword in her lap.

"The easiest way to learn is by trial and error. I can explain it to you all day, but you won't know what I'm talking about until you feel it yourself."

Rosie was a fast learner and that stretched to swordsmanship. It helped that Lienna was such an extraordinary teacher. She could tell her mother was surprised by the ease she picked up the craft. Her reflexes were fast, and she was able to manipulate the sword between her fingers with almost no trouble (there were a few problems because of her miniature chubby hands).

"You're a natural my little rose!" Lienna praised, sweeping Rosie up into her arms and peppering her sweaty face with kisses. She couldn't help but giggle as her mother assaulted her face. Rosie was so content with her life. She had a mother who loved her, a beautiful home, and she was getting stronger by the day. Everything seemed perfect.

…

The sky was dark. It reflected the mood of one Red-Haired Shanks, who was leaning against the railing of Red Force, face unnaturally melancholic as he contemplated a certain little girl and her mother.

It had been two years since he had been to the summer island of Paray, since he had seen Lienna and his daughter. He didn't even know her name. He didn't even have verbal confirmation that she was his daughter, but that red hair was unmistakable. She was his daughter. And he didn't even know her name.

Shanks understood why Lienna didn't want him around though. If anyone saw him around a little girl with his hair, the dots wouldn't be hard to connect. He was a wanted man with more enemies than he could count, and he knew there were many a person who would be be willing to stoop to using his daughter to hurt him.

It was better with him out of the picture. He knew that, yet his heart still ached. He never even thought about being a father, the thought never crossed his mind, it wasn't something he'd ever thought he'd want. It wasn't something he ever thought he'd get a chance to have. He lived a dangerous life, a child was never in the equation.

Yet he had one. A daughter with his hair who's life he couldn't be a part of. He didn't know her name, her age, her birthday. She was a stranger to him and he was a stranger to her.

If being a stranger to his daughter meant keeping her safe, that's what he would be.

…

"Yes, I have eyes on the targets. One Lienna D. Walker and a child, no more than ten. It seems her hair has been dyed, scarlet red roots are beginning to show. Same shade as Red-Hair. Yes, the timeline makes it possible. Understood."

The Marine stayed low, binoculars trained on Lienna and the child as they laid out under the shade of a tree and he hung up his transponder snail. It had been years since Shanks appeared at the island, it made sense for him to stay away in fear of his connection to the girl being discovered.

However, the Marines had kept a watchful eye on Lienna D. Walker ever since her sudden departure from piracy months after her crew had an encounter with Red-Hair. It was a common practice for the Marines to watch for possible pregnancies when it came to notorious pirates. Shanks had a direct connection to Gol D. Roger, which meant any offspring of his wasn't any more desireable.

They would use to child to get to Red-Hair, then exterminate her and her filthy mother.

 **A/N: From here on out things are gonna be much more fast-paced. It's about to get pretty wild and I'm excited to write it. Getting through these first few chapters was a bit hard since it was mostly just building up to what's about to happen. Sorry it takes me so long to update, thanks for sticking with me guys.**

 **Arvas13:** _ **Thank you so much, your comment really helped ease my fears!**_

 **Zombie-onigiri:** _ **Thanks! I understand where you're coming from with the making her OP from the start, I promise she has so many faults and weaknesses that I'll get more into as the story progresses.**_

 **MadelVer:** _ **Thank you!**_

 **LittlePlagueRat:** _ **Thank you so much!**_

 **Marie potter riddle:** _ **Glad you liked it!**_

 **Chibianimefan26:** _ **Glad you enjoyed! I'm really pumped to write their next meeting!**_

 **Rae:** _ **Ask and you shall receive!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_You never know how strong you are, until being strong is the only choice you have._

 _~Cayla Mills_

 **Trigger warning: Mention of intention to rape.**

Rosie's eyes were closed. The world was quiet around her as she focused on concentrating. She exhaled slowly, and in the next moment felt the danger.

Black raced up her arm as she pivoted to deflect her mother's attack. The sharp sting of the blade caused her to wince. Her Armament wasn't strong enough to completely protect her from harm.

"Good." Lienna praised before launching another attack. Rosie's grip on the sword in her hand, very real and very dangerous, tightened and she couldn't conceal the small smile tugging at the edge of her lips as their blades clashed.

It had been a year since Rosie first touched a wooden sword, and her progress had been nothing less than baffling. Swordsmanship did run in her blood after all.

Cuts and calluses littered her hands, but she couldn't have cared less. Rosie was only seven years old, but she knew as she was then, she was deadlier than grown adults from her old world.

She knew if she kept training, at the rate she was going she would be more than able to protect herself should it become necessary.

"Alright my little rose, that's enough for today." Lienna said, sheathing her sword and Rosie mirrored her. "I have to pick up a few things in town, I'll be back soon."

After planting a kiss on her forehead, her mother was gone.

Alone, Rosie raced inside and grabbed the notebook she kept under her mattress. Not the most discreet hiding spot, but her failsafe was surefire. All her writing was in English, a language she doubted anyone in her current world could read.

Once she realized where she was, she took to writing down everything she could remember about One Piece. Her memory was never the sharpest, and she wanted to make sure she was as prepared as possible for what she might face.

The world she was living in was full of possibilities. There were so many different paths she could take should she choose to do so. However, there was one thought holding her back. How would her presence affect the canon of the predetermined world?

The last thing she remembered happening in One Piece was the Sanji arc, in which his family was revealed. That wouldn't happen for at least another decade if Shank's youth and attached arm was anything to go by.

What if she messed things up. What if, because he had a child, Shanks never went to Foosha and never met Luffy. That meant Luffy would never eat the Gum Gum Fruit. Who knew how long Luffy would last without his trademark rubber man powers.

Without Luffy, where did that leave the world.

The fact that Rosie wasn't supposed to exist was indisputable. She somehow slipped through the cracks and ended up in a fictional world. She had read stories similar to her situation in her old world, stories in which the person befriended the main characters and became a hero along with them.

Rosie didn't think she wanted that. Living a peaceful life with Lienna was more than enough for her. In a few years when it was safe for her to be seen in public, she could get a job in town. Maybe open a bookstore. That would be ideal.

…

The Red Hair Pirates' celebration was in full swing as they sailed away from the defeated pirate ship. Another victory. Spirits were high as alcohol and food was passed around.

The captain was in the middle of the merriment when his first mate, Benn Beckman, pulled him aside.

"C'mon Benn! Can't it wait until morning?" Shanks whined, wanting to go back to the party.

"On the enemy's ship, I overheard something worrying." The dark-haired man said, arms crossed as he looked down at Shanks. "Something about you having a kid."

Shanks entire demeanor changed. His posture straightened and the mug of beer in his hand shattered as it hit the deck.

"Did you hear anything else?" Shanks prompted.

"Just that they say your kid is located on a Summer Island somewhere in the Grand Line."

"Turn the ship around, set sail for Paray immediately." He said. Benn nodded once before moving out. The sounds of his crew partying didn't entice him anymore.

People knew that he had a child. If some lowly pirates were aware of the fact, then more powerful opponents had to know. Lienna and his daughter were in danger. This was all his fault.

…

"A bookstore?" Lienna repeated as Rosie sat in front of her, hands hard at work creating intricate braids in the girls hair.

"Mhm! I'll have books from all over the world, I want to have the biggest collection of books!" Rosie said enthusiastically, wincing as she got too excited and pulled away from her mother who still had handfuls of her hair.

"That certainly won't be easy my little rose." Her mother replied.

"So? I don't care. I'll do it anyway." She proclaimed, crossing her miniature arms.

"I have every faith in you my little rose." Lienna comforted, placing a ponytail in Rosie's hair to hold the braid and pulling the girl to her chest.

"Can we practice today Mama?" She asked excitedly, eyes trained on the two swords lying next to the front door.

"Right aft-" Her mother's entire body froze. Rosie knew something was wrong immediately. Her stomach dropped as Lienna shot to her feet and raced into her bedroom.

"Mama?" Rosie asked, voice trembling. She didn't need Lienna to tell her what was going on. They had been found. _She_ had been found. Her mother raced back into the living room with a small, intricately designed box in her hands.

"Hurry Rosie, eat this." She said, opening the box and pushing a small fruit into her hands. It was a light pink color and she knew what it was. Rosie had seen enough Devil Fruits to know that's what was nestled into the box.

There was no time to think. No time to argue with Lienna, she knew time was running out. Her chubby hands reached into the box and grasped the plumlike fruit. With no hesitation, she bit into the fruit.

The series really didn't do a good enough job in illustrating just how disgusting the fruits really were. Rosie couldn't put it into words even if she tried. It was sour milk, garbage, rotten fish, a plethora of foulness. It was all she had to swallow the fruit.

Before she could react, Lienna grabbed Rosie in one arm, her sword in the other, and they were out the door.

"Hold onto my back Rosie." Her mother commanded in a tone of voice she had never heard before. She moved immediately, wrapping her arms around Lienna's neck and her legs around her torso. Lienna unsheathed her sword. Faster than Rosie could comprehend, much faster than she ever was in their sparring matches, Lienna pivoted around and Rosie watched with wide eyes as her mother effortlessly sliced through a young man in a marine uniform.

Blood splattered back on the both of them and Lienna didn't so much as flinch, turning back and sprinting. Rosie's mind was still reeling from watching the woman who gave birth to her, who baked her cookies and peppered her face with kisses at nearly every opportunity, kill a young man without so much as flinching. She knew her mother had been a pirate before her, had known she was a master swordswoman.

Rosie had been more naive than she thought. She forgot what a pirate was, she was so used to associating pirates with Luffy, who never killed anyone, that she forgot not all pirates were like that. She forgot such violence existed.

She clung tight to Lienna, never daring let go as they approached the coastline. Rosie lived on an island her whole life, but never once went to the beach. It was too dangerous being so close to the water.

A small boat was waiting there and Lienna wasted no time pushing it into the water and jumping in. Unfurling the sail, a gust of wind propelled them forward.

"Get down!" Lienna shouted before jumping on top of Rosie. The sound of gunshots rang through the air and Rosie couldn't help the small shriek that slipped out. She felt her mother wince, but she never moved from her position covering Rosie.

After a few tense minutes, Lienna finally got up, but Rosie refused to move, too scared. Looking up at her mother, she saw red beginning to stain her light blue top.

"Mama, you're hurt." Rosie said softly, her voice trembling. Lienna had been shot protecting her. It was her fault.

"This is nothing my little rose, don't you worry. I've had a lot worse." She tried to reassure, but Rosie could tell she was lying. It was clear in her eyes.

"Are the bad people still after us?" Rosie asked.

"Yes, but it looks like we've escaped for now my little rose."

They sailed for hours and eventually, Rosie nodded off to sleep. However, she was thrust back into consciousness by the sound of yelling. Eyes shooting open, the first thing Rosie saw was the giant ship in front of them. It was ten times the size of their sailboat and one glance at her mother told her they wouldn't be able to make it out of this one.

Though her mother put up a fight, she was already wounded, and was forced to surrender when one of the pirates got ahold of Rosie.

"So this is Shanks' brat huh?" The pirate holding her up, painfully, by her arm commented. She could assume he was the captain by his gaudy attire. "It seems they tried to hide the hair color, but you can't cover that obnoxious red hair."

"Let her go!" Lienna screamed, being detained by three grown men. The sight was almost comical, three grown to hold down a woman half their size.

"Let her go?" The captain laughed sharply before swinging his arm out, dangling Rosie off the side of the ship. "Are you sure about that?"

Rosie refused to scream, refused to show her fear. It was the least she could do. However, she knew if the pirate dropped her into the ocean, she would drown. She might have had a fighting chance if not for the Devil Fruit she ate, but she remembered from the show that once someone ate the fruit, the ocean was not their friend.

"No!" Lienna shrieked.

"But I thought you wanted me to let her go." The captain taunted.

"Please! Do whatever you want to me but don't hurt her!" Lienna cried, straining against the men holding her.

"You know, I had a run in with Shanks not too long ago. He's the one who took out my eye." The man said. "Maybe if I take out one of his brats' eyes we can call it even."

Rosie swallowed hard, but once again, refused to show fear. The pirate leered at her. "Not scared of me girlie?"

She don't know what possessed her to do it. It wasn't something she ever would have done in her past like if in the same situation. It was like someone else possessed her body. Looking the man straight in the one eye she had remaining, she gathered the saliva in her mouth and spit it right in his face. The pirate threw her down at his feet and Rosie hissed as her body made contact with the hard wood of the deck.

"Take them both to the holding cell, I want to make that little bitch scream." Rosie knew she had just majorly fucked up, but one look at the pride shining on Lienna's face made it worth it.

…

Rosie whimpered as the leather whip made contact with her bare back and a few tears slipped down her face.

"Stay strong my little rose!" Lienna shouted before the crack of the whip cut her off.

She didn't know how long they had been below deck. It was hard to keep track of time when torture after torture was being inflicted on you. The whip seemed to be their personal favorite Rosie thought dryly as she fought a scream after being hit again. She could feel the blood running down her back where her skin was torn.

All she wanted to do was scream. She doubted it would lessen the pain, but it would make her feel better. But Lienna hadn't let out a single whimper. Not screaming was the least she could do.

"I think it's time to step it up a notch boy's." The captain sneered. "How do ya think ole Red Hair would react knowing a "worthless" pirate such as me deflowered his precious daughter?"

Rosie's stomach dropped and terror filled her.

The pirate grabbed her and grinned at the look of terror on her face. "I'll surely get a scream outta ya."

"Leave her alone!" Lienna shrieked, thrashing against her restraints as the captain gave Rosie a once over.

"She's not bad looking, a bit underdeveloped, but I like em on the younger side." He laughed.

No no no no no. This couldn't be happening. Rosie could take the whippings, the torture, but this. This was too much. She struggled against his hold, thrashed and wriggled, but it was no use.

"I like it when they put up a fight." He leered, reaching for her clothes.

"Captain! The Marines are here!" A pirate screamed, running below deck. The captain cursed before dropping Rosie.

"Don't worry girlie, I'll be back for you."

They tied her up before going above deck to meet the Marines.

"I'm scared Mama." Rosie whimpered, nausea overcoming her at the thought of what she just narrowly escaped.

"I know my little rose, I'm so sorry this is happening to you. I love you so much." Lienna said, and Rosie could tell her mother was crying. She had never seen Lienna actual cry. There had been a few occasion where she cried tears of happiness; the first time she called her 'mama', her first steps, etc, but never anything else.

"I love you too Mama."

The ship rocked and the sounds of a fight traveled to below deck. No matter who one, it was a lose lose situation for Rosie and Lienna.

When the sounds of battle ceased, they both held their breath to see just who would travel below deck.

"Well, well, well." A deep voice said. It sounded familiar, Rosie couldn't place it, but by the way her heart dropped, she knew it couldn't be good. "Lienna D. Walker, we should have known capturing you wouldn't be an easy task."

Straining her neck to look at the source of the voice, Rosie's entire body froze when she saw the massive figure standing in the doorway.

Admiral Sakazuki, also known as Akainu, also known as the man who believed in Absolute Justice, the man whose belief was that a person's parentage indicated their own path in life. In other words, Rosie knew she was fucked.

A/N: This is by far the longest chapter, and it was supposed to be longer but I had to cut it off somewhere. Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favorited, followed, you all make my day brighter. I love you all, hope you enjoyed.


	5. Chapter 5

_Show me a hero and I'll write you a tragedy._

 _~F. Scott Fitzgerald_

"Admiral Akainu." Lienna said through gritted teeth, bordering a growl.

"And this must be Shank's offspring. Yes, with that hair there's no mistaking it. Disgusting."

Rosie was shaking.

It was easy to be indifferent to a no name pirate she had never heard of, but Akainu, Akainu was at the top. From what she remembered, he became Fleet Admiral, he killed Ace, he was one of the most powerful people in the show, which made him one of the most powerful people in her world.

He could crush her like a bug, and he no doubt wanted to. It was the same reason he held such a desire to kill Ace and Luffy, their parentage. Her parentage no doubt made her a prime target. Shanks was a cabin boy for Roger, that was more than enough to warrant a target on her back, not to mention he was becoming a troublesome pirate in his own right.

Fuck. Honestly 'fuck' didn't even begin to cover it if she was being honest.

"Let's get the two of you back to my ship, the conditions promise to be more comfortable." By the sneer on his face, Rosie knew they would be anything but.

…

Rosie screamed, so loud she would have feared damage to her vocal chords if she could think coherently. The smell of her own flesh burning made her want to vomit, but the pain on her left shoulder trumped everything else.

"There we go, Shanks'll be thrilled when he sees the Marine logo branded on his precious daughter." The marine holding the cattle brand cackled. Rosie bit down hard on her bottom lip, tasting the blood as the searing pain continued.

"Stop it you bastards!" Lienna screamed, struggling against her restraints before she was punched square in the nose.

"Shuddup ya pirate whore." Another marine sneered as blood gushed from her nose. In a move similar to Rosie, Lienna spit right in the man's face, resulting in her getting backhanded. "Bitch."

"Mama!" Rosie shouted before a foot made contact with her stomach, taking the wind right out of her. She crumpled to the ground and couldn't find the strength to get back up.

Everything hurt. The wounds on her back were still bleeding, still stung at the smallest movement. The brand on her shoulder was still searing. She was sure at least one of her ribs were broken and would no doubt be covered in bruises if she managed to survive the night.

Her childlike body wasn't meant to endure this much. Her adult mind wasn't meant to endure this much. This level of torture, of abuse, she never imagined, and she wasn't even getting the worst of it. One look at Lienna, and Rosie knew she was getting off easy.

Her mother looked terrible. Blood coated her clothing, more than one of her fingers were noticeably broken, her face was pale. Probably from blood loss.

"Let's go, can't kill'em till Admiral gives the order." The one who punched Lienna said and the one with the brand grunted in agreement before leaving the cell, locking it tight.

Rosie hurriedly wiped the tears from her eyes, she didn't want Lienna to see her cry.

"Rose?" Lienna asked weakly and she struggled to keep the tears at bay. She couldn't think of a time when her mother had sounded so...broken.

"I'm right here Mama." Rosie replied, crawling over to the crumpled form of her mother and carefully worming her way into her arms, careful not to aggravate either of their wounds.

"I'm not going to make it off this ship my little rose." Lienna said, not an ounce of doubt or fear in her voice. Rosie whimpered, tears leaking from her eyes at her mother's observation. It was something she had known as well. Logically, they had no reason to keep Lienna alive. She was no use for them. They could use Rosie as bait, they didn't need her mother as well.

The proclamation still hurt though. For all the years, Rosie knew Lienna wasn't her first mother, but she was still her _mother_. She carried her for nine months, took care of her, loved her unconditionally in a way only a mother could. Lienna was all Rosie had, the only person in the world who cared about her.

"You know Rose, all I ever wanted was a family." Lienna said weakly. "And you gave me that. I know that this isn't your first life, because this isn't my first life."

Rosie froze. Thankfully, Lienna continued immediately.

"I still don't know how it's possible, I searched for answers but always came up blank. I always suspected that you were like me, you never acted like a child, you always had too much intelligence in your eyes for a child. My suspicions were confirmed when I found your notebook."

Rosie was speechless. Never in a million years would she have thought she wasn't alone, that someone could _understand_.

"I'm sorry I never said anything, I know you needed someone who could relate to you, I planned on bringing it up eventually, but it was so _nice_. I've never had a family, across both my lives. You knew I wasn't your mother, not really, but you tried to hard to be a child for me, I-" She could feel Lienna's tears on her back. "Thank you Rosie, for being my family. For letting me be your mother. I'm sorry I couldn't do a better job of protecting you. If you make it out of here, can you promise me something?"

Still in shock, Rosie only managed to nod dumbly.

"Live freely. Answer to nobody. For whatever reason, you were given a second chance at life. Don't waste it."

"Alright, playtime's over." The Marine who branded her said, waltzing back into the cell. "Grab the kid, don't want her getting in the way."

The Marine who punched Lienna roughly grabbed her arm and ripped her away from Lienna.

"Mama!"

Rosie watched in horror as the first Marine lifted the rifle and aimed it at Lienna, her mother, the one person in the world who _understood_.

"I love you so much my little rose. Thank you." Rosie held eye contact with Lienna, the smile on her mother's bruised and bloodied face never faltering, even when the Marine pulled the trigger, even as Rosie watched in horror as the bullet entered her brain.

"A quick death was more than that pirate whore deserved." The Marine snorted, voice devoid of any emotion or sympathy. Tears streamed down Rosie's face, eyes still wide in shock and horror as she stared at Lienna's lifeless body.

No.

The Marine holding her dropped her harshly and she crawled to her mother. She grabbed one of her hands in hers, body numb as she felt how limp it was, how lifeless.

No.

Anger bubbled in her chest. A hot, boiling emotion. It was something dark and dangerous, something she had never felt before, but she didn't care. Her breathing picked up and she felt the horrible emotions bubbling to the top. He killed Lienna. They killed Lienna. Her mother. They killed her mother.

"What the fuck." She vaguely heard on of the marines mutter, a reaction to the red, glasslike material beginning to form around the girl.

The killed Lienna. They killed her.

The sudden rocking of the ship didn't faze the child, nor did the urgent shouts coming from above.

"Shit, probably Red-Hair, we gotta move er to a safe location." The marine who had been holding her said. The minute he took a step towards her, the red crystalline object shot forward, sharp as a blade.

The man gasped as it pierced straight through his stomach. The second marine let out a startled cry before fumbling with his rifle. Before he could take aim, the object pierced through him as well.

Rosie simply watched with emotionless eyes as their blood blended in with the red spear and pooled onto the floor.

The red material continued spreading, coasting the floor and creating dangerous spikes. She had to keep Lienna safe. Her mother, she had to be safe.

The ship continued to rock and the sound of fighting reached her ears, but she didn't care. All she cared about was Lienna. It was her turn to keep her mother safe.

Eventually the sound of footsteps reached her ears. They were coming for Lienna, she had to keep her safe. Her mother. Her only person.

Red hair came into view. Rosie didn't care. The spear shot towards the intruder but he easily dodged. He was coming for her mother, she had to keep her safe. No one could hurt her.

"Whoa, easy there pipsqueak." Shanks said good-humoredly, the pretense immediately giving way to shock and horror when he took in the sight in front of him.

"I won't let you hurt her." Rosie said, wobbling as she got to her feet to stand guard. "I won't let you hurt Mama."

Shank's heart shattered. He could easily tell that Lienna was dead, as dead as the two Marines lying next to his feet. However, what really broke his heart was the little girl, his daughter, so beaten and bruised she could barely stand, still trying to protect her dead mother.

"I'm not here to hurt her. I promise." He said, putting his hands up. The sound of fighting was still present, Shanks knew he had to get out of there fast. His men wouldn't be able to hold off Akainu for long. "But we have to go."

"Can't leave without Mama." Rosie said, barely able to stay on her feet. She had to stay up, had to protect Lienna.

"We'll take her with us, I promise." Shanks said. Rosie didn't trust him, but she was tired, so tired. She just wanted to be home. Wanted to go to sleep in her bed and wake up to her mother cooking breakfast. Spend the day training. She wanted to go _back_.

Unable to hold up her body any longer, she collapsed. Before she could hit the ground, two strong arms encircled her and she felt herself crushed to someone chest.

"I'm so sorry." Shank's said, tears streaming down his face. He had failed them, and they both knew it.

 **A/N: This chapter has been a long time coming, it was one of the first things I wrote for this fic. I love writing angst, every time someone reviewed saying they hoped Lienna would be saved I internally cackled like an evil villain. This chapter is shorter than I would have liked but it would have felt wrong to continue it. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed, love you, rip Lienna.**


	6. Chapter 6

_You are beautiful because you let yourself feel, and that is a brave thing indeed._

 _~Shinji Moon_

Rosie slipped into consciousness slowly, pain being the first thing she felt. She didn't move, couldn't move even if she had wanted to. Her body felt like it weighed tons.

"Her back is the worst. There'll be considerable scarring from the whip-inflicted wounds."

"I want to see her."

"Captain, I don't think-"

"She's my daughter and I want to see her."

"Then...there's something else you need to know.

Pause.

"They...branded her."

"...What?"

"With the Marine insignia."

A loud crack resonated throughout the ship and Rosie slipped back into unconsciousness.

…

Her next time waking up was better, the pain more muted. The doctor on the ship, an older gentleman named Tito, made sure her pain stayed at a minimum. Apparently she had been out for three days. After getting the necessary information from Tito, she closed her mouth and didn't feel inclined to open it again.

Rosie was silent for weeks. They had a funeral for Lienna, not on Paray, that was too dangerous. It was on a quaint summer island, her mother would have liked it, she thought.

Shanks spoke, nothing elaborate or eloquent. Rosie couldn't recall the words he said even if she tried. She didn't cry, didn't show any emotion at all. There was just...nothing.

Lienna was dead, her mother was dead, the one person in the world who had a chance at understanding what she was going through, was dead. It didn't feel real, especially knowing what she knew about death. Was her mother reincarnated? If she died would she be reincarnated again? Would it be in the world she lived or her old world or a completely different world?

All Rosie knew was that she really didn't want to find out. She also knew she didn't want anything to do with Shanks or any of the canon characters and events. It was canon characters who were responsible for her mothers death and she wanted nothing to do with any of it.

"Heya Rosie, how ya holding up?" Shanks asked, poking his head in, keeping his body behind the partially opened door. She wished he would just leave her alone, but he was like a fly, always buzzing around in her shadow. Rosie assumed he thought he was being discreet, but she always saw the flash of red dancing at the edge of her vision.

She barely spared him a glance, focusing intently on the red crystals forming in her hand.

The Rouge-Rouge Fruit, Shanks had informed her. It gave her the ability to grow rubies from her body. Rosie would have laughed because of course it was something so _red_. She really was an anime character, she had a color.

"Yanno if you ever wanted to train sometime, me or any of the guys would be happy to be of service." He offered cheerfully and Rosie paused.

She wanted to train, she needed to train. Her mother's work couldn't go to waste, and Rosie longed to have a sword in her hands. But not with Shanks, not with any of his crew.

Rosie knew she was being childish, that it wasn't Shank's fault, but she couldn't help the anger festering in the back of her mind, the thoughts that sat there. How he should have been faster, should have protected them better, should have saved Lienna.

"Rose-" He started and Rosie's head shot up.

"Don't call me that." She said harshly, though it was more of a croak since her vocal chords were a bit rusty from not being used. Rose was her mother's nickname from her, only her mother.

"Okay, okay, got it." He said, putting his hands up in a mock surrender. Rosie's attention went back to the red figurine she was crafting in her hand, a sunflower, her mother's favorite. Shanks stood awkwardly in the doorway for a moment before sliding in and shutting the door.

Great.

"Kiddo, I'm worried about you. The whole crew is. Just tell me what you need and I'll do it, anything."

Rosie felt a pang of guilt at the desperation in Shanks' voice. He wasn't a bad guy, she knew that. Before, he had been one of her favorite characters. Lienna's dying smile flashed through her head and the pang of guilt was gone as quickly as it came.

Anything. Interesting. Rosie wanted to be trained, needed to be trained, but not by Shanks or any of his crew. However, there was someone she could think of to train her. A swordsman. The 'Greatest Swordsman in the World', to be exact.

Rosie knew Shanks knew him, and he did just say he would do anything for her.

"I want to be trained." She finally said.

"Great! I mean, I'd love to-"

"Not by you." Rosie interrupted. "Or your crew. I want Dracule Mihawk to train me."

Shanks froze.

"How do you know-"

"Mom," Rosie pushed past the lump in her throat. "She talked about him, how he was the greatest swordsman in the world. I know you have to know him."

She saw the gears turning in Shank's head. She also knew how unreasonable a request it was. Shank's still had his arm, which meant he and Mihawk were still rivals. That though he wasn't the most law-abiding, he was a Shichibukai and she was wanted by the Marines. Rosie didn't care. It didn't matter what lengths Shanks had to go through to make it happen, she wanted him to make it happen.

"Unless you were lying when you said 'anything'." The younger redhead interjected, putting the finishing touches on the sunflower and gently cradling it in her hands. She was being manipulative and she knew it, it didn't bother her in the slightest.

"I'll see what I can do kiddo." Shanks said with a resigned smile, getting up and finally leaving her to her solitude.

…

Rosie grimaced as she stood in front of the mirror, neck craned to stare at her back. Scars littered her young body, up and down her back. It wasn't the scars that bothered her. It was the brand. The first thing she saw when she took her shirt off, clear as day on her shoulder. She ran her hand along the brand, clenching her jaw as she poked the still tender skin. It was about the size of a grapefruit and protruded from her skin.

Anger burned hot through Rosie's body and she had to take a deep breath as she noticed the red crystals forming on her hands. Rosie knew how cruel the Navy was, the horrors they committed in the name of justice, namely the Ohara incident. However, witnessing it firsthand, living it was entirely different. Rosie was only seven, yet they tortured her, mutilated her, killed her mother in front of her very eyes. The thought that anyone would be so cruel was sickening.

There was a soft knock on the door and Rosie rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Come in." She said, pulling her shirt back on and sitting on her bed. Shanks peeked his head around the corner before walking in and shutting the door.

"Heya kiddo." He started with a nervous smile and she stared at him, face void of any emotion. "Um, so, I talked to Mihawk."

Rosie perked up a bit at the news.

"He's agreed to meet you." Shanks said tentatively. "But, he wants to see your abilities before agreeing to train you."

She nodded thoughtfully. That made sense. Mihawk was the world greatest swordsman, if he were to take a student, they would have to be exceptional at the craft so it not sully his name. Was Rosie good enough to stand on even ground with Dracule Mihawk? She couldn't hope to hold a candle to him, she was only seven, had only been training for a little over a year.

However, from what she remembered of the man, she didn't have to beat him to peak his interest. Zoro lost during his first encounter with Mihawk, it was his will and determination that caught the swordsman's attention.

"When?"

"Two days." Rosie didn't know whether to be excited or scared as hell. She hadn't touched a sword in weeks, but she doubted there would be another chance. From the cuts and bruises on Shanks and the way he was favoring his right side, Rosie knew getting the man to even agree to meet her wasn't an easy feat. She wasn't confident in Shank's ability to arrange another meeting.

"Okay."

…

Sweat dripped down Rosies face as she faced opposite of Shanks. The last person she wanted to spar with. However, she knew if she had any hope of catching Mihawk's interest she needed to be at her best.

"Your stance needs to be perfect. Most of your opponents will be bigger and stronger than you, if your stance isn't correct they'll overpower you." Shanks said and Rosie corrected her stance. Though she hated to admit it, he was a good teacher.

"Good." He praised as she blocked his attack. Rosie dropped low with an attempt to slash at his calves but she was forced to abort when his sword came down at her. She landed on her feet and dove to the side, narrowly missing another swing of his sword.

Rosie tightened her grip on the sword in her hands, it had a calming effect on her. She lunged at Shanks, black racing up her arm as she used it to block his own blade and twisting her wrist to slash at his torso. Pain shot up her arm as his sword made contact and she clenched her jaw. Her own sword merely cut the fabric on his shirt before he jumped back and she cursed.

"Rosie, your bleeding." Shanks said, eyes wide with concern and a bit of shock. She looked down at her arm, seeing the shallow cut and the blood dripping down her arm.

"It's just a scratch." The younger redhead replied emotionlessly.

"Go get patched up, that's enough for today." Rosie considered arguing but opted to simply walk away, she knew there wasn't a chance at her changing his mind. It still annoyed her though. Her meeting with Mihawk was tomorrow and she honestly had no idea what she'd do if he decided she wasn't good enough. It was going to be a long night.

…

"So you are his offspring. There is no shadow of a doubt with that red hair. How amusing." Dracule "Hawk Eyes" Mihawk commented stoically, hands folded across his broad chest as he stared down at the young girl. Rosie would be lying if she said she wasn't intimidated.

"My name is Walker D. Rosie." She introduced, matching his tone and bowing her head in respect.

"Ah yes, Lienna's child. You certainly have an interesting mix of DNA. A shame about your mother, she was proficient with a sword." Rosie clenched her fist at the mention of her mother. "Will the child level up the parent, that remains to be seen."

"Thank you for agreeing to this meeting Mr. Dracule." She said, meeting his unnerving gaze.

"Yes, well, your father was quite persistent." He replied, unimpressed. She clenched her jaw at the word 'father'. Shanks wasn't at the meeting, Rosie nor Mihawk wanted him there. He was likely to intercede if he thought things were going south and neither of them wanted that. The redhead was on his ship, docked on the coast of Kuraigana Island. "You don't like that I called him your father, interesting indeed."

He was observant, of course he was.

"Well, I suppose there's no use of delaying the inevitable any further. You come from two proficient swordsman, I am eager to see if they passed the skill to you."

Rosie tightened her grip on the sword in her hand, taking a deep breath to shake away any nerves as Mihawk unsheathed the small dagger around his neck. She was relieved that he wasn't using Yoru, not that she expected him to, and not that it made him any less formidable.

They both stood still for a moment and Rosie realized he was waiting for her to make the first move. She lunged at him and he effortlessly parried her attack. Black raced up both of her arms as he lashed out with the dagger and she winced when he slashed a line on her left forearm.

"Shanks didn't mention you were able to utilize Haki." Mihawk commented, not missing a beat and slashing her other arm. "Only the basics it seems if this is enough to make you bleed."

She was so outclassed it was almost comical. No matter what she did, how hard she tried, she couldn't get close to him. It was so obvious how much her mother and Shanks held back against her, because Mihawk did no such thing. He didn't use Yoru, but that was the only concession, he fought at his full strength.

"You obviously have some talent for the blade, but this is disappointing." Mihawk sighed, effortlessly dodging this swing of Rosie's sword. With every failed attack she was getting more and more frustrated and more and more discouraged. What did she think she was doing? Who did she think she was? Just because she was Shank's daughter, she thought she could do something so impossible. How foolish.

"I see it in you, the potential for greatness," Mihawk started. "But you are letting it go to waste."

"I'm trying." Rosie gritted out, fatigue beginning to slow her movements.

"Are you? Why do you fight Walker D. Rosie? Why did you have Shanks seek me out?"

"I want to get stronger." Rosie replied through clenched teeth and Mihawk slashed a cut on her cheek.

"Maybe, but that's not all. Is it revenge that drives you? To get back at the Marines? The pirates? Shanks?"

Rosie breathing got heavier with every question. He was probing and she didn't like it.

"Is it regret? At not being strong enough to save your mother?"

"Shut. Up." Rosie growled, lunging and Mihawk and ending up with another cut on her face.

"Is it fear? You know that you're wanted by the Navy, wanted by pirates who would seek to use you as leverage against Shanks."

"I said shut up." Another failed attack, another wound.

"Why, Walker D. Rosie? What keeps you going even now as wounds litter your body?" When Rosie lunges at Mihawk, he greets her with a harsh blow to her stomach that knocks the wind out of her. She gasps for air and struggles to stand back on her feet, gripping her sword like a lifeline.

"Why do you fight Walker D. Rosie? What drives you? Why do you stand, knowing you have no hope of winning?" Mihawk's voice was louder now and Rosie felt the tears prick at the back of her eyes. She knew her answer, the answer he was looking for, the real answer.

"I want to live!" She cried, sinking to her knees and letting the tears that she had held back for weeks finally pour out of her. Letting all the feelings of pain, sorrow, regret, and fear that she had been burying come to the surface and letting herself feel them, however painful it was.

"Now," Mihawk said, the beginnings of a smile on his face. "You are ready to be my student."

 **A/N: This chapter took so goddamn long to write. It did not want to be written guys, yet here it is. As you can see I have gotten no better at writing fight sequences and for that I apologize. Thank you to all those who leave me reviews it's literally like in a video game when your character is on low health and then they get a health pack that boosts them back to full health, your reviews are the health packs. Love you!**


	7. Chapter 7

_Nice work ya did_

 _You're gonna go far kid_

 _~You're Gonna Go Far Kid; The Offspring_

"Your stance is still sloppy." Mihawk said in disapproval, lashing out at the redhead girl. Well, young woman.

She was older, taller; it had been seven years since she first arrived on Kuraigana Island after all. A lot had changed since then.

Mihawk was anything but lenient. He didn't care that she was a girl, that she was a child, all he needed to know was that she was his student. The man was never unnecessarily cruel but he didn't treat her any differently than if she were a grown man. Rosie respected it, even appreciated it despite the cuts and bruises it gave her.

Due to her teacher's hellish training, she had improved in leaps and bounds. After training with practically every type of sword known to man, Rosie and Mihawk agreed that butterfly swords were best suited for her personality and stature.

"And you're still a stick in the mud." Rosie shot back, dodging Yoru and returning with an attack of her own.

It gave her a sense of accomplishment that Mihawk felt her worthy of Yoru. It took years before he used the black sword against her. Though it made training more difficult, it served to motivate her even more.

"Insolence." He replied with a scowl, blocking her attack and pushing her back. Anyone else would have missed the small upturn of the man's lips, but not Rosie. No, she had been living with Dracule Mihawk for seven years, saw him practically every day, she knew him almost better than she knew herself. Rosie knew though he may not act like it, he was fond of her and he was the father figure she didn't know she needed.

"It's why you loooooove me." Rosie teased, a mischievous smile on her face. She was pushing it. No matter how fond the man was of her, he was no nonsense when it came to training.

Mihawk didn't reply, choosing to pick up the pace in lieu of a response. Rosie tightened her grip on the blades in her hands and darted forward. Playtime was over.

The black sword swung at her and she deftly countered with her right sword, dashing underneath to slash at Mihawk's torso with her left sword. Before she could make contact, he changed directions and she cursed before hooking her right arm around his and swinging herself up.

Rosie's fighting style took a lot of work to perfect. Her stature and gender were against her. Most people would be stronger and taller than her, she needed a way to combat that. She took a page from one of her favorite fictional characters from before, Natasha Romanoff, they even had the same color hair.

To take down an enemy bigger and stronger than her, Rosie had to be faster and smarter. She had to get in close, and the 'Black Widow'-esque style of fighting was perfect for that, for wrapping her body around then and slitting their throat before they had a chance to retaliate.

Her relationship with killing was...complicated. Like her relationships with most things. It took her a while to remember what she did after the Marine's killed her mother. She seemed to have blocked it out, but after refusing to let Shanks brush her off, he filled in the blanks. The part that unsettled her the most was that she didn't regret it, Rosie knew without a doubt in her mind that if given the chance she would do it again. Years of 'thou shall not kill' were trumped by the simple necessity of the act. If she was going to survive in a world where people were willing to torture a seven-year-old, she had to be ready to take lives.

With her right arm hooked around Mihawk's, she wrapped her left leg around his torso and tossed her left butterfly sword in the air. With her left hand free, she wrapped it around the man's bare neck. When her hand make contact with his flesh, a red, crystalline substance began spreading up his neck and onto his face.

Before Mihawk could throw her off, she placed her other hand on his shoulder –careful not to stab him-, and pushed herself into the air. Rosie grabbed the butterfly sword she had spinning in the air and flipped backwards out of the way of Yoru.

It was a funny sight to behold, Mihawk scowling with rubies spread across his neck like a stain. In actual combat, the goal was to cover the target's airways, leaving them unable to breathe. It did work, Rosie had tried it on herself many of times, she even passed out one time. Mihawk thoroughly reprimanded her after that little stunt.

"Red really isn't your color Hawkie."

Rosie knew she fucked up the moment the nickname slipped from her mouth. The redhead knew she could get away with a lot when it came to her stoic instructor so she liked to push her limits, to see just how far he would let her go. Nicknames never went over well, especially when training.

Mihawk quickly brought Yoru down, sending a brutal air slash her way. Rosie really liked to test just how many lives she had to spare. She quickly dodged to the left and internally cursed when she had to jump back to avoid getting sliced in half. Mihawk _really_ didn't like 'Hawkie' apparently. Noted.

Rosie's arms trembled as she blocked Yoru, having to use both of her blades to keep the black sword from ending her life. Despite all the strength training Mihawk put her through, he could still easily overpower her. The pair focused more on her legs, being that she needed to be fast.

"There's the birthday girl!" An obnoxious voice shouted and Rosie grimaced. She grimaced even harder in the next moment when Mihawk overpowered her and sent her flying across the clearing.

"You shouldn't let an interference distract you from your opponent." Her teacher reprimanded, not even waiting for her body to stop rolling.

"Do you have to be so hard on her Mihawk?" Shank's asked and Rosie muttered a curse. She didn't know if she was more annoyed at the man's appearance, the fact that he was able to practically sneak up on her and she didn't sense him in the slightest, or that because of him she'd have a great new bruise across her stomach.

"Leniency does nothing to improve one's skill." Mihawk replied unamused as Rosie walked over to the men, irritation playing across her face.

"More importantly, Rosie! My angel! Look at how big you've gotten!" Shanks gushed to Rosie's eternal annoyance. The redheaded man only visited once a year, as no one wanted to draw attention to one of the most notorious pirate on the seas dropping by to visit a Shichibukai. Without fail, he appeared on her birthday.

"Hello Shanks." She greeted stoically, arms crossed and wanting nothing more to be out of the presence of the man. Years hadn't made Rosie's heart grow fonder of Shanks. She despised a part of herself for how she treated the man, he was good, and kind, and came back year after year despite that fact that she never so much as gave him the time of day, yet every time she looked at him she couldn't push the image of her dying mother from her mind.

"I can't stay too long this time, but I couldn't let my little girl's birthday pass by without getting her a gift!" Shanks exclaimed, pulling a small box out from his black coat. He moved it just enough for her to see the stump of where his arm used to be.

The first year that the man visited, minus an arm, Rosie was...uncomfortable. She knew it would happen, knew he lost the arm saving Luffy, but she had been so focused on other things that she completely forgot about it. It simply slipped her mind. Rosie couldn't help but wonder if she could have somehow saved Shanks from losing an arm, maybe if she had stayed on his ship, traveled to Foosha with him, she could have kept an eye on Luffy or something.

The guilt that she was feeling, it was exactly what she didn't want. So much tragedy happened in One Piece, she didn't want it to be her responsibility to stop it. She had suffered enough at the hands of her new world, she wanted to stay out of it.

"Thank you." Rosie said, only to be polite as she took the small box from Shanks. Her curiosity was peaked for once. Usually, the man brought her outlandish, expensive, giant gifts. This one seemed more subdued, and for once, he looked nervous.

"I hope you like it." He said quietly as she unwrapped the small box. It seemed to hold jewelry of some kind, interesting.

The minute Rosie opened the box and saw what lay inside, she froze.

Pictures were sort of a rare occurrence in her world. They weren't as easily accessed as they had been in her old world, mostly they were used for bounties, so Rosie didn't have any pictures of her mother, only what she could remember.

There, nestled in the box was a sunflower pendent and, in the middle, a snapshot of her mother. She was younger in the picture, couldn't have been that much older than Rosie currently was. A bright smile lit up her face as she looked past the camera, at something unknown.

Tears pricked at the back of Rosie's eyes as she stared at the picture.

"It's from her first bounty poster, wasn't easy to track down." Shanks laughed a bit awkwardly as Rosie's hands began to shake.

"Thank you." She whispered, tenderly running a thumb across the picture as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I'm glad-"

"Thank you." Rosie repeated again, sincerer than she had ever been as she looked up into Shank's eyes.

"You're welcome kiddo." He replied with a sad smile.

"Mihawk?" Rosie questioned as they watched Shanks begin the trek back to the shoreline. The man in question had been silent during the whole exchange.

"Yes?"

"I think I'm ready to leave this island, go out on my own yanno." She said, clipping the pendent around her neck.

"Do you think you are, or are you?" He challenged and Rosie took a deep breath.

Being on her own wouldn't be easy. She knew people were after her, she had to be able to defend herself against the forces that be. On Kuraigana island, she was more or less safe, she had Mihawk's protection. Out on the ocean, she only had her own protection and the ocean was an unforgiving place. The next time she drew her blades would be a life or death scenario, she wouldn't get away with merely a few cuts and bruises.

Despite all that, Rosie knew it was time for her to set off on her own. She couldn't stay under Mihawk's care forever, not if she was going to keep the promise she made to her mother.

 _Live freely._

That's what she planned to do.

"I'm ready." Rosie said seriously, hand on the pendent hanging from her neck. "It's time for me to leave the nest, spread my wings, if you will."

Mihawk cracked a rare smile and Rosie felt a pang of sadness run through her. She would miss her stoic companion, miss rising with the dawn to help him till the land, miss the gleam of pride in his eyes when she managed to land a hit on him, she hoped he would miss her too, no matter how much of a pest she was.

"Many powerful people want you dead Walker D. Rosie, that red hair of yours is akin to a bright red target." He pointed out and Rosie nodded.

"I know."

"The smallest mistake will mean death on these seas."

"I know."

Mihawk paused. "I will have a boat ready for you tomorrow."

Rosie grinned.

Rosie didn't have many belongings, so putting her things into the small boat Mihawk prepared for her was easy. It was harder than she had though to clear out her bedroom in the castle, to say goodbye to the place she had called home for seven years.

"Here." Mihawk said, handing her a satchel and Rosie raised an eyebrow in confusion as she took the bag. Peaking inside, she had to stop herself from gasping as she saw the stacks of Belli inside.

"Mihawk I can't-"

"Consider it compensation for helping me care for the castle if you will, I want no further argument." Rosie snapped her jaw shut and nodded. The man had given her a small fortune.

"One more thing." He said and this time, both of Rosie's eyebrows went up. In the seven years they lived together, Mihawk had never given her a gift, now in the span of five minutes he was giving her two.

Rosie's jaw almost hit the floor when he grabbed two ornately crafted butterfly swords from his coat. The handle had red rose embellishments and a gold grips. They were gorgeous.

"A swordsman's swords are a reflection of the wielder themselves. Take care with these, they are your truest comrades on the battlefield." Rosie grabbed them, still in awe at the beauty. She turned them over in her hands, admiring the craftsmanship. Tears pricked at the back of her eyes and she had to will herself not to cry.

"Thank you Mihawk, for everything." Rosie said, holding the blades close and looking up at the man.

"Go Walker D. Rosie, sail the seas, do what you fought so hard for. This world is your oyster to do with it as you see fit. However, be warned. Should we see each other on the seas, we will meet as enemies and I will not disgrace you by being lenient."

"When have you ever?" She smiled back, tucking the blades into her thigh holsters and swinging the bag of Belli over her shoulder before stepping into the boat.

Taking a seat, she grabbed the oar and pushed herself away from the dock.

"Goodbye Mihawk." She said fondly as the man stood tall, arms crossed as she drifted farther away.

"Goodbye Walker D. Rosie."

Rosie could swear she heard the man's unique laugh as she turned and set her sights on the great, wide, ocean.

 **A/N: And so it begins! I'm actually starting to get to the end of my story plan so I need to get my life together. Rosie's on her own now, so many great characters get introduced in the next chapter I'm so excited! Hope you all enjoyed, love ya.**


	8. Chapter 8

_**"We've all done this- created out mix-and-match families, our homemade safety nets."**_

 _ **David Levithan; Two Boys Kissing**_

* * *

Rosie was sat atop the figurehead of her ship –because how could she not give it a try, and hey it was actually comfortable-, legs crossed and arms propped behind her as she basked in the warmth that the sun provided. A cool sea breeze blew past and she took a deep breath, a content smile gracing her lips.

This was what her mother had wanted for her. This was freedom.

"Lunch is ready Ro." A silvery voice informed and Rosie leaned completely back, one leg hooked around the horn of her dragon figurehead as she hung upside down to look at the person behind her.

"What would I do without you Joce?" She asked with a toothy grin as her blonde first mate rolled her eyes. Jocelyn Clark, the first person to join her crew and Rosie's best friend.

"Probably starve."

It had been three years since Rosie departed from Kuraigana Island. A lot had changed since then. The little boat Mihawk gifted her became a full-fledged pirate ship, and she even had a crew. Her own crew. Though they weren't many, they were fierce. Rosie never had the intention of having a crew or being a captain, but she loved it.

Rosie loved that she was a wanted woman with an absurd bounty on her head. She loved that her crew had absurd bounties on their heads. She loved that the Navy desperately wanted her dead and pirate crews constantly attacked her. She loved that she had an epithet, that she was recognized wherever she went. That her bounty poster was everywhere. It was thrilling. She did what she wanted when she wanted and she answered to nobody, just like she promised her mother she would.

"You're probably right." Rosie conceded, unhooking her leg and sliding down, landing on her feet and stretching.

"We'll be docking at Narya soon according to Fletch." Rosie nodded, their navigator –Fletcher Robinson-, was never wrong.

Narya was a small port town in the Grand Line, they were running low on supplies and it was nice to be on solid ground every now and again. Though Rosie had to admit that the gentle rocking of the ocean had grown on her.

"Finally!" A small-statured Asian girl shouted when Rosie and Jocelyn entered the dining area. Aiko Lee, resident blacksmith.

"C'mon Ro, you know Mira doesn't let us eat unless we're all here." A thin girl with piercing yellow eyes and dark brown hair added. Kathleen Mitch, resident tailor.

"Yeah Ro, I'm starving!" The large fishman at the end of the table laughed, shaking the whole ship with the sheer volume. Washi, resident merchant.

"Okay, okay. Gee, sorry guys." Rosie said, putting her hands up in surrender as she took her spot at the head of the table.

"Don't be so hard on Rosie." Another voice chimed, entering the kitchen with plates of food piled high. Mira Soo, resident cook and surrogate mother to the entire crew. After putting the food down, the full-figured strawberry blonde bounced over to Rosie and pinched her cheek. "Isn't it nice, all of us together like this, enjoying a meal like a family?"

"It's inconvenient is what it is." A dark-haired woman muttered with her arms crossed. Valerie Wright, resident doctor and botanist.

"It is nice for us all to be together like this." The soft-spoken girl to Rosie's left said with a shy smile. Nancy Pierre, resident scholar. The shadow sitting next to her nodded once in agreement. Ren, resident spy.

"We're all confined to one ship Nance, all we do is spend time together." The platinum blonde girl sitting next to Ren pointed out, putting her nail file down and inspecting her work. Sienna Peters, resident gunner.

"Not necessarily, everyone tends to do their own things. I don't see some of you for days on end!" The redhead next to Valerie giggled.

"That's because you're always below deck." Valerie sniffed.

"You're one to talk Val, you never leave that lab of yours." Aiko shot back with an eyebrow raised.

"My work is important!"

"She never said it wasn't. Aiko was just pointing out that you sound like a hypocrite, criticizing Harriet when you do the same thing." Sienna interjected, not bothering to look up from her nails.

"Must they always bicker." Fletcher sighed dramatically.

"Would it be a family dinner if they didn't?" Jocelyn replied with a fond smile.

"Okay, okay. Everyone's just grumpy because they're hungry. Let's dig in!" Mira said with a clap of her hands.

"Whatid I miss?" The short older man in the middle of the table suddenly asked, lurching upright and wiping the drool form his mouth. Leonard Noiz, resident musician.

The dining room was filled with talking and laughter as the meal progressed and Rosie couldn't keep the smile off her face as she took it all in. Her family was as dysfunctional as they came, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

"Ahh, it feels good to be on land again." Rosie sighed as she disembarked from her ship, a bag slung over her shoulder.

"All these years and I still prefer solid ground." Jocelyn said, and Rosie elbowed her.

"C'mon Joce, you know you love the motion of the ocean."

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say."

"Alright guys," Rosie started, turning towards the rest of her crew. "We'll only be here for two days. This area is known for pirate activity so chances of running into the Navy are high. We all have our transponder snails and we all know the drill. I don't know when we'll dock again, so most importantly, have fun."

Rosie was the first to leave, headed straight for the first jewelry or antique shop she could find. She needed to get rid of the items in her bag, so she could really let loose later.

"Hello, welcome to Cristallo's, how can I help you today ma'am?" An older gentleman greeted when Rosie strolled into the small shop.

"Hi, I have some items to sell." She greeted with a smile, placing her backpack on the table.

"How wonderful, however we don't do purchases lightly so-"

The man's warning was cut off when Rosie carefully removed the figurines from the backpack. She had ten in total, all carefully crafted from her own hands. The precision necessary made for good training, and it was an easy way to make money whenever they docked.

"These are magnificent." The man praised, taking one of them –the dragon-, in his hands. "The detail, the craftsmanship. Where ever did you acquire these?"

"I made them." Rosie replied simply. "They're pure ruby. I'm willing to sell them all if you give me a good offer."

* * *

Thirty minutes later with a backpack full of Belli, Rosie dropped it off at her ship before sauntering into the nearest bar and doing a quick glance around the room. She immediately spotted Sienna and Aiko, so she made her way over to them.

"Shoulda known I'd find you two here." She said with a grin, leaning on their table and putting her chin on her hand.

"You're one to talk." Aiko snorted before downing another shot.

"C'mon Sienna, I gave you a thirty-minute head start and you're still alone?" Rosie teased, and the blonde glared at her.

"It's easier for you, I have a much smaller pool to choose from." The girl defended.

"Excuses, excuses." Rosie sang, turning to scout out the patrons of the bar.

She froze when she noticed him. Of course, she'd been around canon characters before, encountered them while in the Grand Line, but she hadn't been expecting him.

"Looks like she found her prey." Aiko said to Sienna and Rosie shook herself out of it.

"I don't know." She said awkwardly, trailing off as she stared at the man's back.

"What? The great Rosie backing down from a challenge? The Red Queen herself?" Sienna asked with a shit-eating grin on her face.

Rosie slept around, a lot. She had a nice body and she relished in the attention it got her. Before, she was shy, introverted, had never done so much as kissed, she refused to live that way anymore. Sex was an amazing thing, and Rosie wasn't going to deprive herself of it because of some idiotic social norm. She had sex freely, carefully, and she loved it. Men, women, she didn't discriminate.

There was even one time with a fishman and did Rosie _love_ to talk about that one. She claimed that was the best sex she ever had.

Normally she wasn't one to hesitate when pursing someone. However, she had never slept with a canon character before. It felt weird. With her other partners, she liked the fact that they were strangers, that they would have fun together then go about their lives. With the man sitting at the bar, she knew his whole tragic backstory, she knew so much about him.

"C'mon Ro, I believe in you." Aiko encouraged, giving her a push that sent her stumbling before she regained her balance.

Not that she had never thought about that particular man in an erotic sense. She had very much been attracted to him, she still was.

Well, when in Rome.

Rosie sauntered up to the bar, claiming the seat next to the man

"I've always had a thing for guys with tattoos." Rosie grinned, looking up from beneath her lashes at the man.

"Is that so?" He replied, not giving anything away as he took a sip of drink. Rosie watched him out of the corner of her eye as she looked away, watched the way his eyes raked up and down her body. It sent a thrill through her.

"Got any more you'd like to show me?" She flirted, folding her arms to shamelessly accentuate her cleavage.

"You're certainly straightforward." The man commented with an easy grin.

"I'm a girl who knows what she wants, and I don't tend to let things get in my way." Rosie replied, reaching forward and grabbing the man's glass. She downed the drink in one go and smirked. Whiskey.

"I've heard about you, Walker D. Rosie." He said, turning his body more towards hers.

"I've heard about you too," Rosie grinned. "Trafalagar D. Law."

* * *

Hours later, Rosie was lounged across the bed of a hotel room, nothing but a sheet haphazardly draped over her body as her partner pulled on his pants. She sat up, noticing the heart tattoos on his shoulders but keeping her mouth shut though her heart ached. He didn't tell her the meaning behind them, he didn't have to.

"Leaving already?" She pouted. Law was good in bed, she hadn't known what to expect but boy was she glad she took the plunge. He was aggressive, teasing, making her beg for release and sometimes still making her wait. Rosie subconsciously squeezed her legs together and Law smirked.

"Do you want me to stay that badly Rose-ya?" He teased, and Rosie removed the sheet from her body, standing and giving a cat-like stretch before sashaying towards the bathroom.

"I suppose if you have to go." She sighed, trailing off as she put a swing in her hips. Before she could make it through the threshold of the door, a slim arm wrapped itself around her waist and it was her turn to smirk.

She was definitely glad she took the plunge.

* * *

"Alright, hope everyone had fun!" Rosie cheered as they set sail, the small town becoming nothing more than a dot on the horizon.

"Well, we know you had fun." Aiko laughed, and Rosie grinned.

"Don't I always?"

"A little too much fun." Fletcher said in disapproval only for Sienna to drape an arm around his shoulders.

"Lighten up Fletch, just because your abstinent doesn't mean we all have to be." The boy's face took on a red tint and he stormed away as Sienna laughed.

"Oh, come now, no need to tease the poor boy." Mira reprimanded.

"He's just so easy to tease." Sienna defended with a shrug of her shoulders before sauntering away.

"Well, I found some amazing new fabric that I can't wait to do something with. Everyone be prepared to be amazed." Kathleen announced with a grin.

"What about you Nance? Find anything new at the bookstore?" Rosie prompted the younger girl sitting quietly in her wheelchair.

"Oh, um, yes. I found a few very interesting history books that I'm eager to read."

"Great!" Rosie grinned. "Leonard, how about you play some tunes, I feel like dancing!"

The older man jolted awake at the sound of his name and grabbed his saxophone. Rosie jumped up, grabbing Jocelyn's hands and spinning her around as jazz filled the quiet air around them.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, so this took a turn I wasn't expecting BUT I hope you all enjoyed! You've meet the crew and now we're finally in the present. So, I'm not going to put any smut in this fic itself but I'm toying with the idea of making a place for sidestories and stuff and putting it there. The possibility of Rosie and Law's actual encounter isn't completely off of the table. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed, let me know what you think, love you.**


	9. Chapter 9

_**The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.**_

 _ **Faye Wattleton**_

* * *

The storm around them raged furiously, completely unforgiving as Rosie and her crew fought to keep their ship afloat. It was the worst storm she had ever faced, and she grew up in the Grand Line. The sky around them was pure black, the only illumination coming from the frequent flashes of lightning.

"C'mon Fletch! Get us out of this storm!" She yelled, though she doubted her navigator could hear a word she said. Between the thunder as loud as drums and the wind howling, she could barely hear herself.

"Ro! We have to do something, or we are not going to make it!" Jocelyn screamed from her side and Rosie's mind began to race. She didn't know what to do. Enemies she could handle, but she didn't know how to fight back the _weather_. Mother nature was outside of her control.

The waves beat hard against her ship –affectionately named Gentle Scarlet- and Rosie moved to the ferocious dragon figurehead at the front of her ship. She pulled herself up, straddling the dragon's neck and wrapped her arms around it.

"C'mon Scarlet, I need you help here if we're gonna make it out of this." The redhead said softly, unable to hear herself over the storm, but knowing that didn't matter. If her ship was going to help her it didn't matter how loud she asked. There were times when she thought she felt a connection to her ship, she truly did love the vessel that carried her across the oceans and she took impeccable care of her. However, Rosie had no proof that a Klabautermann resided in Scarlet. She could only hope.

Planting a gentle kiss on the top of the figurehead, she hopped down and got to work.

"Ren stay below deck with Nancy and Leonard! Washi, I need you in the water doing what you can from below! Sienna, man the cannons, if needed we'll use the aftershock of the blast to keep us from capsizing! Mira, help Fletcher steer, he'll need your strength! Harriet, I need you below deck making sure Scarlet doesn't get too damaged! Aiko, Kathleen, and Jocelyn, I need you bracing the sales!" Rosie's voice carried over the deafening thunder and her crew moved immediately.

Rosie braced herself against the left railing on her ship, looking over the side to the black sea, waves crashing hard and unforgiving against the side of Scarlet. The wood wouldn't hold if that went up for much longer. Taking a deep breath, black coated Rosie's right arm and she swung herself over the side of the ship. It was dangerous, but Rosie was never one to shy away from danger.

She planted her left hand on the side of the ship and red crystal began to coat the wooden planks. The redhead wasn't sure it would even help, but it couldn't hurt. Once Scarlet was adequately coated in rubies, Rosie pulled herself back above deck just in time to see a massive wave coming right for them.

"Shit." She said softly to herself. There was nothing she could, this wasn't something she could avoid, something she could defeat. For the first time since she watched her mother die, Rosie felt truly helpless.

"Rosie-," A cheerful voice began, and Rosie's head snapped around to see Harriet emerging from below deck.

"Brace yourself!" She screamed, saying a silent prayer that Jocelyn, Aiko, and Kathleen were able to hear her. She lunged towards Harriet but knew that she wouldn't be able to make it to the young girl in time. There was nothing for her to hang on to, nothing to keep her anchored when the massive wave hit.

Rosie could anchor herself, could cement herself to the deck with rubies, but that would leave Harriet to fend for herself. She reached the girl just in time to wrap her arms around her slim frame before they were slammed against the deck by the wave. Rosie took the brute of the hit, keeping Harriet above her. She saw stars and vaguely heard Harriet shriek as they were swept off the side of the ship, bodies crashing straight through the railing.

Everything was fuzzy, Rosie was trying to think straight, but everything was scrambled. She hit her head harder than she thought. The redhead thought she heard Jocelyn screaming.

"Rosie!" Harriet screamed and Rosie blinked. They were still falling, hadn't hit the water yet. There was still time to save Harriet. Rosie knew she would be useless once they were in the water, the curse of eating a Devil Fruit. The heavy downpour had already weakened her. Black coated both of her arms and she detached herself from Harriet.

"Make it back on that ship Harriet." Is all Rosie said before mustering all her strength and throwing the girl back over the ship, the force propelling herself into the crashing waves even faster.

Rosie was already on the verge of unconsciousness when her body hit the water. Her body felt so heavy, she couldn't even bring herself to fight against the sea. As she began to sink to the bottom of the ocean, Rosie could swear she felt a pair of arms encircle her, and the smell of freshly baked cookies caused a smile to form on her face as her eyes drifted shut.

 _Mom_.

* * *

"Wake up!" A vaguely familiar voice shouted and Rosie's eyes shot open as a fist made contact with her stomach. Water spewed from her mouth and she began to furiously cough while trying to inhale as much oxygen as possible. Her lungs _burned_ and tears streamed down her face as she got on her hands and knees, trying to rid all the water from her stomach.

She had completely forgot about the stranger who revived her until they began excitedly cheering. "Yay! You're alive! I was worried for a second!"

Rosie took a few more deep breaths, calming her racing heart before sitting back on her legs and wiping the tears and salt water from her face. Finally calm, something occurred to the redhead.

Why did that voice sound so familiar?

Looking to her right, Rosie's jaw literally dropped when she saw the person sitting happily next to her, a familiar smile on his face.

No fucking way. It couldn't be. What are the odds that she would wash ashore this particular island? What are the odds that she would survive in the first place? There had to be some higher power at work because it couldn't possibly be a coincidence.

"Hi! I'm Monkey D. Luffy and I'm gonna be king of the pirates!" The infamous boy wearing a straw hat smiled and Rosie continued to gape like a fish out of water.

* * *

 **A/N: Kind of a short one for y'all but the next one will be long so it's all about balance. Thanks to all who review, follow, favorite, love yall!**


	10. Chapter 10

_**A friend is what the heart needs all the time.**_

 _ **Henry Van Dyke**_

* * *

Rosie had gotten over being starstruck years ago. Her father in this life was one of the most notorious pirates in the world, her teacher was the greatest swordsman in the world, nothing fazed her. Well, almost nothing.

"I'm starving! Hurry up! Makino will make us some good food!" Monkey D. Luffy shouted, hand wrapped around Rosie's arm and pulling her along. She couldn't stop staring at him. It was him, the protagonist, the man who was going to become king of the pirates, someone who was going to become one of the most powerful people in their world.

Rosie had never planned for this situation. Ever since she decided to stay out of canon, the possibility of meeting Monkey D. Luffy was far from her mind. There was too much at stake. She knew too much about his journey, about his life. What if she messed something up? Even the smallest interference could alter the timeline. Everything Luffy did was already so amazing –and so based on luck in some cases, what if her appearance messed that up. In the original timeline she was certain Luffy didn't have an encounter like this.

"I should really get going Luffy-"

"You don't have a boat though, so food first!" He interrupted and Rosie's jaw clenched. He was right. She didn't have a boat or any money. She was also weaponless and crewless. Using her devil fruit would be a dead giveaway to her identity, even more so than her hair already did.

Rosie begrudgingly let Luffy pull her into Foosha Village. She tried not to look too much like a tourist.

"Makinoooooo! Fooooooood!" Luffy shouted as they burst through the doors of the historic bar. It was called Partys Bar is Rosie's memory was correct.

"Manners Luffy." The green-haired woman chided good naturedly before her attention turned to the red-head. "Who's your friend, Luffy?"

"This is...um...what's your name again?" He whispered, realizing he had never gotten her name. Rosie paused. Giving out her name probably couldn't hurt any more than her red hair already did. If her wanted poster was around, her name wouldn't stop someone from connecting the dots.

"I'm Rosie." She introduced, keeping her last name and the 'D' to herself. Foosha Village was remarkably safe for pirates considering Luffy and Ace grew up there with little to no problem, and Shanks was a frequent visitor. However, Rosie didn't like to take chances.

"Nice to meet you Rosie!" Makino smiled. "You two come sit down and I'll whip something up."

"Yay!" Luffy cheered and dragged Rosie to one of the barstools.

"You poor dear! You're soaked!" Makino exclaimed when she finally got a good look at the young girl. "Come with me, I have some clothes in the back."

Rosie complied. She knew Makino wouldn't cause her any harm, and her clothes were pretty uncomfortable. Sand was in very uncomfortable places.

"Thank you for this Makino, you didn't have to."

"Of course, I did! What would Shanks say if he knew I let his daughter sit there like a wet dog." Rosie couldn't help but be impressed. Makino was a lot smarter than she thought. She waited until they were alone, and didn't make it confrontational, just slipped it into conversation.

"That hair really gives it away doesn't it." Rosie laughed somewhat bitterly.

"I suppose it does," Makino started thoughtfully while rummaging through a dresser. "But it was your eyes that clued me in. Shanks goes on and on about how you have your mothers' eyes. I've had them described to me in detail more times than I can count. You're all he ever talks about. He really loves you."

Rosie's breath caught in her throat and her chest tightened. A part of her knew that, had known it for years, in every gesture the man made. However, he had never once explicitly said it. Rosie was content with that. It was easier to despise him, to paint him as the villain in her mind which made everything simpler. She was able to compartmentalize her feelings towards the man. The last thing she wanted or needed was to add figuring out that tangled mess of emotions.

"You're very nice Makino." The redhead said with a rueful smile, back turned to the woman as she pulled on the sundress that was provided for her. It was a strappy little thing and Rosie could feel the woman's eyes on her left shoulder.

The Marine emblem that was so kindly branded on her shoulder had long since healed, leaving behind a distinguishable scar. The man who placed it there surely knew what he was doing because it wasn't going anywhere.

Rosie kept it hidden for a long time. It was a reminder of a time she didn't want to remember. She had other scars -mostly on her back from the whip-, but the brand was worst, the most painful. It was demeaning, embarrassing. She never once forgot why they did it. It was more than physical torture, it was psychological, so the world would see what they did to her.

It took years for her to accept it, to be at peace with it and even then, it took even longer for her to feel comfortable showing it to the world. She always either got two reactions to the scar, sympathy or satisfaction. Enemies, be they pirates or marines, liked to use the mark to taunt her. It never worked.

"I'm glad it fits." Makino said. The dress was a but snug, but Rosie wore her clothes tight most of the time anyway. It was a pretty cerulean color and she made a note to incorporate the color into her wardrobe.

"Thank you, again, Makino. I appreciate it."

"It's not a problem. Now, if you go wait with Luffy I'll bring the two of you some lunch." Rosie's growling stomach answered for her and she blushed before hurrying out of the room back into the front of the bar.

"There you are!" The rubber man exclaimed, and she cautiously took a seat next to him, still not over the fact that she was in the same room as Monkey D. Luffy.

Rosie had barely been sitting for five minutes when the doors of the bar were slammed open. The redhead immediately tensed, ready for combat as she whirled around. A short, older man stood fuming in the doorway.

"Makino! What's this I hear about you housing a notorious pirate!" He shouted, clearly agitated. Rosie vaguely remembered him, the mayor perhaps?

"A notorious pirate! Where?" Luffy replied excitedly, jumping up and looking around.

"Mayor Woop Slap, how good to see you. I'm whipping up lunch if you'd like some." Makino said, completely unfazed at the chaos occurring. Rosie supposed she had to be used to chaos at that point.

"Don't try and bribe me with food! Where's this pirate? We already have to deal with Shanks and his crew, the last thing we need is another pirate thinking they can hang their hat here!"

The young woman was definitely amused. Makino seemed to be the only person with any sense in the village.

"The pirate your so intent on throwing out is sitting right here Mayor." Makino replied simply, gesturing to Rosie.

"Where?!" Luffy shouted, looking all around Rosie before actually grabbing her by the waist and lifting her up to look under her. He wasn't the brightest.

"This young girl?" Woop Slap asked in astonishment. "That's not possible!"

She felt a tinge of annoyance. That was a bit rude.

"Walker D. Rosie, at your service." She said with a cheeky smile, still lifted in the air.

"Wait. Rosie! You're a pirate?!"

"I am. Now can you please but me down?" The boy quickly but her down, looking like a kid in a candy store.

"D-Did you s-say Walker D. R-Rosie?" Woop Slap stammered. "A-As in T-The Red Q-Queen?"

"I suppose some people do call me that."

"Whys the old man so freaked out?" Luffy questioned.

"Probably because I'm a pretty notorious pirate with my own crew and a generous bounty on my head." She replied with a shrug.

"Wow! You have your own crew?"

"Mhm. They're my family, you'd like them."

"E-Excuse me! Y-You have t-to g-go!" Woop Slap said, full of false bravado.

"Enough of that Mayor, we couldn't possibly kick Shanks' daughter out." Makino chided.

"Wait. You're Shanks' daughter?!"

* * *

After a few more minutes and a million more questions from Luffy, the mayor left and everyone calmed down. Well, as calmed down as Luffy could be.

"You're so cool Rosie! I can't believe you're a pirate! And you're Shanks' daughter! He's the one who gave me this hat you know. He's so cool too! I'm going to be a pirate one day. I'm going to become The King of the Pirates!" He rambled happily in-between bites of food. Rosie too was enjoying the food in front of her. Makino was an excellent cook and already seemed to know about her peanut allergy. She had a hunch as to how.

"That's an ambitious dream. It's won't be easy."

"I don't care! I'm gonna do it!" Rosie envied his passion, his drive, his happiness. He was almost always smiling, no matter what the circumstance.

"Then I wish you the best of luck Luffy."

"Pirates!" A voice shouted, crashing through the doors to the bar. "A pirate ship is approaching fast! Skull and crossbones jolly roger with fangs."

Rosie's mind began to race but nothing was coming to mind. She wasn't familiar with a group with a jolly roger like that.

"Oh no." Makino whispered as residents began to run out of the bar, likely to board themselves in their homes.

"Pirates!" Luffy grinned. Rosie was at a disadvantage without her swords and her crew. However, it was promising that the crew was unknown to her. That meant they weren't powerful enough to register on her radar.

More importantly, Rosie didn't recall a pirate group attacking Foosha Village in canon. Unless it just simply wasn't mention which seemed unlikely. Was her presence effecting canon?

"You should get to safety Makino."

"What about the two of you?" The woman fretted.

"We'll be fine. I do this kinda thing all the time." Rosie smiled, getting to her feet and cracking her neck. "Let's go Luffy."

Fighting with the boy would be a hit or miss. This was before the series started, but he'd been trained by Garp for years. It was just be a matter of their fighting styles clashing. Rosie would also have to keep in mind this the Luffy currently by her side wasn't the Luffy from the point she was in the series. He was so weak compared to what he would become.

"Get all the money and jewels you can find boys!" Someone bellowed with a hearty laugh. Walking out of the bar, the pair were greeted with the sight of about twenty or so pirates. The captain had to be the gaudily dressed blonde in the middle.

His attention turned to them and he leered. "Looks like I've found my prize."

Gross.

"Leave this island." Rosie commanded, keeping her hands behind her back as the rubies began to form.

The man laughed. "I like them feisty."

" _I like it when they put up a fight."_

Rosie clenched her jaw.

"You're pretty lame for a pirate." Luffy commented flatly, tilting his head to the side. The captain sneered.

"You have five seconds to take your men and get out of here." Rosie warned.

"Or what?"

"5."

"How cute, she's counting down."

"4."

"What are you going to do?"

"3."

"Smother me to death in those tits?"

"2."

"That's a death I wouldn't mind."

"1."

"Time's up." Rosie moved in the next moment, the captain still laughing as she came up on him, black coating her arm as her fist made contact with his face. He flew down the road before harshly hitting the ground.

The laughing abruptly stopped and his crew stood in shock for a few moments.

"You're so cool Rosie!" Luffy cheered, breaking the crew out of their stupor. They were upon her in the next moment.

They were no match for her. She had trained with two of the most powerful people in the world, in comparison, the crew was like swatting flies. The butterfly swords she crafted with the help of her Devil Fruit were overkill.

The fight was over before it actually began.

"I didn't even get to fight." Luffy pouted as they rounded up the last of the pirates, putting them in a large pile. With them all in one place, Rosie squatted and placed her hands on the ground. Red began to spread across the ground and up into the air, creating an intricate prison for the pirates.

Luffy looked back and forth from the ruby to Rosie before the lightbulb went off.

"Rosie! You ate a Devil Fruit?!"

"The Rouge-Rouge fruit." She answered, standing and brushing the dirt from her hands.

"Me too! I ate the Gum-Gum fruit! I'm a rubber man, see!" He demonstrated by hooking a finger in his mouth and pulling it out unnaturally far. That was much stranger in real life.

* * *

Rosie and Luffy had just sat back down to finish their meal when the same citizen from before burst through the door.

"Pirates!" He shouted while trying to catch his breath.

"Again?" Makino despaired.

"Yippee!" Luffy cheered.

Rosie merely grinned. Her observation haki already gave her an inkling of just who was approaching.

"A skull and bones jolly roger with a rose instead of one of the bones!"

"How far?" Rosie questioned easily, taking another bite of food.

"They're probably docked by now!"

The redhead took the last bite of food and exhaled. "Thank you again for the food Makino, and this dress."

"Anytime Rosie, but where-"

The green haired woman was cut off by a tall figure strolling into the bar.

"Rosie." The blonde woman sighed, closing the distance between them in seconds and wrapping her arms around said woman.

"Don't tell me you really thought I'd be taken out by a little thing like going overboard in the middle of a storm."

"Oh shush."

Rosie returned the girls embrace, a content smile on her face as Jocelyn clung to her form.

"Who's this Rosie?" Luffy asked curiously. "Is she a pirate too?"

"This is my first mate, Jocelyn Clark." She introduced, breaking away from the hug but keeping an arm wrapped around the taller girl's waist. "And the ship that's docked is my ship, which means it's time for me to go."

"Aww. But you just got here!" He whined. "Hey! I have an idea! Join my pirate crew!"

Rosie laughed. "Luffy, I have my own pirate crew."

"They can join too! I just have to be captain."

"I don't think that'll work considering I like being captain."

Luffy pouted but he couldn't argue that logic.

"Well it was certainly nice to finally meet you Rosie." Makino smiled.

"You as well Makino."

"Can I see your ship?" Luffy asked eagerly.

"I don't see why not."

The three of them walked out of the bar and Jocelyn shook her head, looking at the pirate crew jailed in the middle of the street. "You always seem to find trouble, don't you?"

"Hey, I gotta keep things interesting."

"Wow! This is your ship?" Luffy exclaimed in amazement.

"She sure is, her name is Gentle Scarlet." The sight of her ship, virtually unharmed from the storm put Rosie at ease. Gentle Scarlet was her pride and joy, she didn't know what she'd do if she was harmed.

"Rosie!"

"I told you she'd be okay."

"Yeah, it would take more than a little storm to take her out."

"Way to be dramatic!"

"Rosie! I'm so sorry!"

Her entire crew was above deck, all waiting for her. Tears pricked at the back of her eyes, but she held them in. They would never let her live it down if she cried.

"We'll see each other again, won't we? We're friends after all." Luffy said.

Friends. Rosie never wanted to become "friends" with a canon character. Something could slip, she could mess something up. However, Luffy was every bit as charismatic in real life as he was on the screen. She could see how he got so many people to fight for him. At the end of the day, that was his greatest power.

"We'll see each other on the seas." Rosie hoped not. "I'm sure of it."

"Yay! I'm gonna be even stronger than you the next time we meet!"

Rosie's heart ached as Foosha Village became merely a dot on the horizon. What if she warned him, she maybe could have spared him some pain, maybe saved lives. Her hand absentmindedly ran across the brand on her shoulder and she shook her head.

No. She couldn't involve herself in canon any more than she already had. She wouldn't. There were people she had to protect and that had to be a priority.

"Come on Rosie, dinners ready. Mira made your favorites... _all_ of your favorites." Jocelyn said and Rosie sighed, turning her back on the village on the horizon.

Her crew, her family, took priority.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys! Here's a late christmas present for you all, and if you don't celebrate christmas, here's a gift just because. I hope you all have a happy new year, let me know what you thought. Love you all.**


	11. Chapter 11

_Some people have an identity. I have an alibi. I have a shadow self._

 _Andre Aciman_

* * *

Confrontation on the sea was as commonplace as seeing a seagull. There was just an overabundance of pirate crews in the great pirate age, hoping to bring glory to their name by taking down other crews. There was also the Navy, who patrolled the sea in search of pirate crews to bring to their version of justice.

That's why Rosie wasn't surprised to have a run-in despite only being back in the Grand Line for a few days.

"Walker D. Rosie, surrender now or I will bring you in by force." The Navy Captain commanded from her ship. Rosie merely laughed, standing on the deck of her own ship with her arms crossed.

"You'd never take me alive Ms. Captain." The redhead called back mockingly. "Here's my counter offer, take your men and leave before I sink your ship."

There was a sickly-sweet smile on Rosie's face as she stared down the Captain. Rosie liked to believe she was a good person. She was kind to most everyone, didn't like hurting people unnecessarily, and genuinely liked helping people. When it came to the Navy, however, all of that went out the window.

They made her see red. Just seeing the ship, their uniforms, it took her back to all those years ago. She became a different person.

"You have until I count to five to surrender, pirate." The Captain announced and Rosie chuckled.

"Five."

"Brace for impact everybody." Rosie told her crew.

"Four."

"Are the cannons read, Sienna?"

"Three."

"Ready, boss."

"Two."

"Fire." Rosie didn't flinch as Sienna fired off the middle canon, the backlash causing Gentle Scarlet to violently rock. The redhead held eye contact with the Marine Captain, seeing the fear in her eyes even with the distance between them. The cannonball tore through the Marine vessel.

"Fire!" The Marine Captain ordered, and Rosie laughed, a loud, boisterous sound. She would have said it sounded reminiscent to her father's if not for the cruel twist to it.

"Washi!" Rosie commanded and she felt the vibrations from under Scarlet as her fishman friend laughed. The cannonball flew towards them, on a direct course to hit right where Rosie was standing but she stood firm. Before the cannonball could make contact, Washi breached from the water, still laughing as he hit the cannonball like a volleyball, sending it smashing down on the Marine ship.

"Rosie..." Jocelyn said softly as they watched the ship sink into the unforgiving ocean, as the cries from the Marine's echoes across the ocean.

"I gave her a choice, it's not my fault she didn't choose the right one." The redhead replied with a shrug of her shoulders and en edge in her voice. "Get us outta here Fletch."

Rosie didn't feel guilty, she didn't think about all those Marines, how they probably had families waiting for them at home. No. They didn't think about how fucked up it was to hunt a child. To kill her mother right in front of her. To torture a seven-year-old.

"That was fantastic!" Sienna squealed, a giant grin on her face. "The force of that explosion really got me going!"

"I bet it did." Aiko commented slyly.

"Must you always be so crude?" Valerie asked coldly as she strolled up from below deck. "If you could be a little gentler Sienna, your explosions always disturb my work."

"Not my problem, Val."

"Alright sweeties," Mira interrupted. "Lunch is just about ready so everybody into the dining room!"

Her crew followed the matron below deck, but Rosie didn't follow, not yet. Her ship was sailing away from the now sunk ship, but she could still see the splashing on Marine's trying to save themselves, clinging to pieces of wreckage. Not all of them would survive, most probably wouldn't. They were miles away from the nearest island.

She was killing them. Their families would curse her name. An endless cycle of hate would continue.

"Rosie?" Jocelyn asked softly and the Captain shook her head. It was what they deserved. Or at least that's what she'd keep telling herself.

* * *

Rosie was awoken the next morning by a loud knocking on her door. The young woman groaned. She knew what day it was, so she knew what the commotion was about. Begrudgingly getting out of bed, she swung open her door.

"He's here isn't he?"

"He will be in about five minutes." Jocelyn replied and Rosie sighed.

"Right then, I'll be up in a few minutes."

"Oh," Jocelyn interjected before Rosie could shut her door. "Happy birthday Ro."

Rosie smiled ruefully. "Thanks Joce."

After throwing on a pair of jean shorts and a red crop top, Rosie dragged herself above deck.

"There's my little girl! Happy birthday Rosie!" Shanks exclaimed happily, his crew mirroring the sentiment as cheers went up all around. The redheaded man and some of his crew had boarded her ship, the rest of his crew stayed on Red Force.

"Shanks." She greeted cordially. It was always a sore spot that he was able to find her in time for her birthday, and that her Observation Haki couldn't sense him.

"You get even more beautiful every time I see you!" He gushed before turning to his men. "C'mon boys! Get the booze and food!"

"We could try and fight them off and make a run for it." Aiko whispered and Rosie smiled.

"I appreciate the offer, but it'll be easier to just let him. Besides, after this he doesn't bother me for the rest of the year."

"Whatever you say Captain."

"Whas all 'is racket!" Leonard grumbled, jerking awake from his morning nap on the deck.

"Leonard! Good to see you!" Shanks exclaimed.

"Ahh, look who it is! Ole Red 'Air." Leonard was Gol D. Roger's musician back in the day. Rosie met him while docked on small island far away from the Grand Line. If he was found by the Navy, he would have been persecuted for his connection for Roger. Over drinks, the older man confessed to Rosie that his dream was to see the world one last time before he died. The redhead was all too happy to grant the gentleman his wish, it was an added bonus that he played a mean saxophone.

What Rosie failed to remember was that her father was a cabin boy to Roger, meaning that he was familiar with her new musician.

"It's gonna be a long day." Rosie grumbled and Jocelyn comfortingly rubbed her back.

Later that night, Rosie was sat next to her father around the firepit in the middle of Scarlet. The partying had simmered down as everyone sat under the clear night sky, soft jazz playing courtesy of Leonard.

"I met your protegee." Rosie started, taking a sip of rum.

"Luffy?" Shanks asked with a grin and Rosie nodded. "He's a good kid. Gonna do great things that one."

"Yeah." She agreed, sneaking a glance at the older man. He was staring intently into the fire. "I also met your girlfriend."

He immediately spit out the sip of rum he had just taken, and Rosie lost it. Her laughter rang through the calm night.

"The...look...on...your...face." She managed in between giggles, not knowing the way his eyes softened as he looked at her.

"You're mischievous."

"Seriously though. You already know who I'm talking about and I didn't even say her name." Rosie commented slyly.

"She's not my girlfriend." He grumbled and Rosie snickered.

"She's very nice, and smart. I definitely approve. She had me pegged as you daughter immediately, which isn't that hard by the hair, but she said it was my eyes that gave it away."

"You have your mother's eyes." Shanks said softly, sadly, and Rosie's heart ached. She really had been too hard on him. She lost her mother, and that pain blinded her so much, she forgot that he lost his lover.

"How did the two of you meet?" She asked, genuinely curious since Lienna wasn't a canon character. Their romance was completely unknown to her.

"That's a...long story."

"I've got time." So Shanks began the tale that resulted in Rosie, and for the first time ever, she felt a true connection to her father.

* * *

Rosie had been quiet in the days following her birthday, but her crew wasn't worried about the sudden change in demeanor. Sometimes, she went quiet for a few days, it wasn't unusual. They'd see her sitting perched atop the dragon figurehead for hours at a time, just staring out into the ocean. The only time she talked to anyone was to give commands.

She just needed time to think, to sort through her thoughts and feelings. Her talk with Shanks had been so different than anything she had experienced. For this first time since Lienna's death, she didn't hold any resentment towards him. It made her uncomfortable. Hating him was easy, blaming him was even easier, but now, now she had to face the reality.

It was her fault.

If Rosie had never been born, the Navy would have had no reason to go after Lienna, no reason to torture her, to kill her. The argument could be made that she was a pirate so of course the Navy would be after her, but they weren't after her at the time, they were after Rosie. It was her existence that killed Lienna, an existence she shouldn't even have. Sure, Lienna was like her, but Lienna didn't cause anyone's death (anyone innocent anyway).

Rosie was a killer. A killer, and she continued to kill. She'd lost count of the amount of people she had killed since becoming a pirate, by the direct action of her swords in their body, or like the Navy ship from the other day when she left them to die. She was a murderer. There had to be people that cursed her name for taking away their loved ones, people who dreamed about doing to her what she did to them.

She was spiraling, she knew she was, but she couldn't stop it. The thoughts wouldn't stop.

"We'll be docking soon Rosie." Jocelyn said softly, approaching the redhead's unmoving form. She was seated on the figurehead, knees pulled up to her chest and staring out into the ocean.

"Okay." The younger girl said, leaving no room for conversation. Rosie heard Jocelyn sigh before turning and walking away. She wished she could feel bad, could feel guilty, but she couldn't feel anything.

That's why the minute the ship docked she was gone, ready to scope out the nearest bar. She needed a distraction, someone to make her feel something. A familiar head of black hair caught her attention immediately and she internally cursed her luck. Of course he would be here.

They had a great night together, but she didn't make it a habit to sleep with the same person twice. The anonymity was one of the appeals for her. She already knew too much about the man sitting at the bar, she shouldn't have slept with him the first time, but her curiosity got the better of her.

It would be a terrible idea to sleep with him again. The worst. Their connection was already deeper than it should have been. There should be no connection between them. That was one part of her brain. The other part of her brain was telling her that sleeping with him again would give her exactly what she needed. He would be able to make her forget.

The second part of her brain won out. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Are you following me Rose-ya?" Law asked with a smirk, eyeing her up and down as she slid onto the stool next to him.

"I could ask you the same thing." She shot back with an equally confident smirk, flagging down the bartender and ordering something strong. "Have any plans for the rest of the night?"

No reason to beat around the bush. "I'm assuming you have something in mind?"

"Maybe a few somethings." Rosie grinned, a cheeky smile on her face and Law chuckled.

"You're bad news Rose-ya."

"Equally as bad as you."

There was a beat of silence before one of Law's tattooed hands slid onto the redhead's exposed thigh. Goosebumps raced up her body at the contact and she sucked in a breath. "Eager, Rose-ya?"

"Wanna find out just how eager I am?" She breathed, her voice coming out huskier than normal. Law's eyes darkened and her heartrate increased.

"Let's get out of here."

"Gladly."

* * *

Exhausted was the only words that could describe how Rosie felt the next morning. She'd spent the night in the hotel with Law, something she never did, but she had been far too tired to bother leaving. She and her crew weren't stting sail until the next day anyway.

Law was still asleep when she woke up and she took full advantage of using the bathroom first. She traced the bruises, welts, and scratches that littered her body as she stood in front of the mirror. She was right about Law, he gave her exactly what she wanted, what she needed. Rosie didn't want to 'make love' last night, she didn't want slow and steady, she wanted hard, fast, and rough. The redhead wanted to forget her name, her problems, who she was, and she'd be damned if Law didn't provide.

Her whole body ached a good ache, one she knew would last a few days. Law was awake when she walked back into the room, clad only in a towel as she dried her hair. "Were you able to forget?"

Rosie stilled. "What are you talking about?"

Law stretched before getting up, the covers falling from his tattooed body. Rosie couldn't help but let her eyes wander. "You were trying to forget something Rose-ya and I was more than happy to oblige, just wanted to know if I was successful."

Rosie rolled her eyes. This was why she craved anonymity when it came to her partners. "Yes, you helped me forget, thank you for your service."

Law approached the redhead, tugging on the towel when he was close enough. It pooled around Rosie's feet and she just quirked an eyebrow at the taller boy. "Didn't get enough last night?"

"I don't think I could ever get enough of you Rose-ya, you're so reactive to my touch." His fingers trailed along the marks he had left, similar to how she had in the bathroom. He dropped his head down to her neck, pressing kisses along the base of her collarbone and she shivered. Law moved around her body until he was standing behind her. It wasn't until he pressed a feather-light kiss to her left shoulder that she hissed before jerking out of his grasp.

"Well, that's enough of that then," Rosie commented dryly, grabbing her scattered clothes off the floor.

Law chuckled. "Your reactions are amusing to observe."

"This is why I don't sleep with the same people twice; you didn't talk this much the first time we fucked. You're too comfortable now."

"I also knew your body better though, knew what you liked, what you really liked." He grinned.

"Glad you have me so figured out." The redhead said while pulling her shirt over her head. "Too bad you did all that work to never fuck me again."

"I highly doubt that Rose-ya." He said confidently and she rolled her eyes before sauntering out of the hotel room.

Definitely sticking to her anonymity rule from now on.

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter did not want to finish getting written but here it is.** Also **I swear this is an Ace/OC fic, we'll get there guys. Let me know what you thought, love you all.**


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